AAP says Congress, BJP have no ‘moral right’ to question on appointment of parliamentary secretaries

The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday accused the BJP and Congress of appointing leader of house and leader of opposition in the municipal corporations of Delhi in violation on rules.

The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday accused the BJP and Congress of appointing leader of house and leader of opposition in the municipal corporations of Delhi in violation on rules.

AAP leader Dilip Pandey at a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT File)

AAP Delhi convener Dilip Pandey said both parties did not have the moral right to question AAP on the appointment of 21 MLAs as parliamentary secretaries.

“According to the DMC Act, there are mayors and committees in the municipal corporations. There are no leaders of the house or opposition. The standing committees of the civic bodies had unilaterally decided to extend the facilities of transportation and offices to them. This amounts to corruption. Congress and BJP have no moral right to question us on parliamentary secretaries, who are not paid a single paisa, unlike the provisions for their councillors. According to the DMC Act only mayors are entitled to benefits such as an office and a car,” he said.

According to Pandey, the posts of the leader of house and leader of opposition were illegal. “They illegally created the posts of leader of the house and leader of opposition, which have no existence in the DMC Act. The chairman of the standing committee was also a beneficiary,” he said.

According to the AAP, the benefits given were monetary in nature and the standing committee had no power to amend the DMC Act and any such change had to be approved by the L-G and the Union home ministry.

Pandey said that the issue of parliamentary secretaries in Delhi was not technical but political.

“Modi ji has no problem with parliamentary secretaries in other states. He only has a problem with those in Delhi. Ours parliamentary secretaries don’t even take a penny and work day and night. They only get blessings from people. Spend a day with them and then you will understand what they do. The BJP and Congress appointed parliamentary secretaries in Delhi but no one questioned them. Questions are asked only of us,” he said.