HC decision on parl secretaries a 'lesson' for AAP: Congress

Praising the Delhi High Court's decision cancelling the appointment of AAP's 21 parliamentary secretaries, the Congress on Thursday said that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party should take some lessons from the order as they don't do anything except lying.

"This judgment proved that the law and order works in this country. The way Arvind Kejriwal and his party don't follow law and order, they should take some lessons from this judgment as the Aam Aadmi Party doesn't do anything except lying. They always said that there is no office of profit, haven't taken money nor the car, but such amazing and luxurious offices were prepared for them," Congress leader Haroon Yusuf told ANI.

Yusuf further said the true face of Kejriwal and his party is gradually coming to the fore, adding it is clearly visible now as to how smartly the party is misleading the people.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court quashed the appointment of 21 parliamentary secretaries after the AAP Government accepted that the Lt Governor's approval was not taken in the matter.

The AAP had appointed the 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).

"The Delhi government conceded their mistake and the HC acknowledging their mistake, set aside their appointment order," Ravindra Kumar, Counsel for Rashtriya Mukti Morcha, told ANI.

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.