'Anarchist' Kejriwal always defies constitutional procedures: Congress

The Congress Party on Friday alleged that 'anarchist' Arvind Kejriwal always tries to go against the constitutional procedures as he did by appointing 21 MLAs as parliamentary secretaries without the concurrence of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.

"Kejriwalji always goes opposite to the Constitution; he himself admits that he is an anarchist. Appointing them (MLAs) on office-of profit posts and trying to make it legal; which cannot be done, it had to be dismissed and the court has done it," Congress leader Randeep Surjewala told ANI.

He further criticised Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that all they do is just talk.

"If government could run by mere lofty talks, then Modiji and Kejriwalji would have been the best politicians. The truth is that both just talk and give exaggerated speeches, but do not do any groundwork," he said.

The Delhi High Court yesterday set aside the appointment of 21 Aam Admi Party MLAs as Parliament Secretaries, to assist its ministers in the national capital.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal pronounced the judgement after the Delhi Government's counsel accepted that the Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification Amendment) Bill- 2015, was passed without the concurrence of the Lieutenant Governor.

In May 2015, Rashtriya Mukti Morcha, an NGO, filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the court stating that the appointment of Parliamentary secretaries was 'unconstitutional,' as per the provisions of Article 239AA, section(4).

Earlier in June, President Pranab Mukherjee rejected the Bill passed by the Delhi Government in 2015 to exempt the post of Parliamentary Secretary from the purview of office-for-profit.

Kejriwal had passed an order appointing the 21 MLAs, including Alka Lamba, Jarnail Singh, Adarsh Shastri and Rajesh Gupta, as Parliamentary Secretaries on March 13, 2015.

Attempting to save from disqualification provisions for holding two offices of profit at one time, the Delhi Government then sought to amend the Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of the Disqualification) Act, 1997.

The Bill was forwarded by Lieutenant Governor to the Centre, which in turn sent it to the President with its comments.