BJP to file complaint with Lokayukta, Cong says govt misleading people

NEW DELHI: The opposition intensified its attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party over the parliamentary secretary issue on Wednesday with leader of the Opposition

NEW DELHI: The opposition intensified its attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party over the parliamentary secretary issue on Wednesday with leader of the Opposition in the Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta threatening to move the Lokayukta office with a complaint and Congress’ Ajay Maken accusing the government of misleading the people.

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Gupta said he would file a case before the Lokayukta court.

“Despite having no authority under Articles 102 (1), 191 (1) and Sec 15 of NCT of Delhi Act 1991, Kejriwal unconstitutionally and illegally appointed 21 parliamentary secretaries. The CM formally administered them the oath of office despite the fact that the CM has no such authority under the constitution. The CM got all of them allotted rooms in the secretariat through the government. They were provided official transport, allowances and other facilities at par with the ministers,” said Gupta.

Gupta said that the election commission will disqualify the 21 MLAs but CM Arvind Kejriwal should also be punished. Gupta said the parliamentary secretary post had been challenged in several courts across the country, including the Supreme Court.

Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken picked up faults in the defence put up chief minister Kejriwal. He said while pointing out that both the Congress and BJP government appointed parliamentary secretaries, the CM failed to mention that they were attached to the chief minister and not ministers.

“He (Kejriwal) named several parliamentary secretaries appointed in Delhi, including HKL Bhagat to Nand Kishore Garg to me. Even after counting names since independence, he couldn’t recall more than 5-6 names. But within a month after coming to power he appointed 21 AAP legislators to the post,” said Maken.

The Congress leader, who held the post of parliamentary secretary to then chief minister Sheila Dikshit, between 1999-2001, said the AAP convenor appointed almost one-third of the total strength of the House as parliamentary secretaries to keep his flock together.

“Either it was for lust for power, or to prevent the MLAs from leaving the party along with party dissidents Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan,” Maken said.

Citing example of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who quit as Member of Parliament and got herself re-elected from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha Constituency, Maken advised Kejriwal to get the popularity of his legislators tested.