CPI-M labels Nripendra Mishra's appointment through ordinance 'unacceptable'

Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury on Saturday termed the appointment of Nripendra Mishra as principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'unusual' and cornered the government of what he called as 'not acceptable' for using the ordinance route.

"The manner in which the appointment of the principal secretary was done is very very unusual. To change a law of the land for the sake of appointment of one individual and that too through the ordinance route is something not acceptable. Anyway the ordinance will come before the parliament for approval the government will have to explain why it had to adopt this course, what was the great urgency. Let us see if they can satisfy the parliament, I doubt it though," Yechury told ANI.

The BJP government after assuming office had zeroed in on Nripendra Mishra appointing him as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Principal Secretary after President Pranab Mukherjee signed an ordinance that amended Section 5 (8) of the TRAI Act of 1997 that barred any member of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) from holding a subsequent government position.

Mishra, a 1967 batch Indian Administrative Service officer from Uttar Pradesh cadre, has served in many departments, including TRAI as its Chairman in 2006.