Why govt. in hurry to make new appointments? : BJP

Even as the central government got a go ahead from the Election Commission to appoint the next army chief, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday asked why the incumbent government is in a hurry to rush through new appointments in various ministries.

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Why the Manmohan Singh-led UPA Government is in hurry to make new appointments? We have got intel that the Commerce Ministry and various other ministries are making new appointments for the posts, which will be vacant after May 16."

"We are deeply distressed that when the imminent departure of the incumbent government is going to happen in next 80-90 hours, then why this great rush to fill in vacancies of crucial appointments in various ministries," he added.

Prasad also asserted that the BJP strongly condemns these decisions of the government to make new appointments, and said it is completely against the democratic propriety and political probity of the country.

The poll panel has given its go ahead to the Defence Ministry to start the process of appointing the new army chief.

Citing its March 27 order, the poll panel said that decisions related to the defence ministry are not covered by the Model Code of Conduct.

The BJP has raised strong objections to the government going ahead with the process of appointing the next army chief, on grounds that its tenure is coming to end on May 16, and that the new government should have the right to decide who the next head of the army will be.

The BJP has said that it cannot understand the government's hurry to go ahead with such a crucial decision.

The government had earlier said that it would wait for the EC to give its nod before announcing the appointment.