Congress upset over appointment of secretary general

The Congress Monday wanted to know why the opposition was not consulted before Anoop Mishra was appointed the new secretary general of the Lok Sabha.

The matter was raised in the lower house by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced that Mishra had taken over from Monday.

Kharge said he was not questioning the appointment made by the speaker but said there was a procedure of consulting the opposition.

He pointed out that while there was no recognised opposition leader in the house, the government was amending laws to include the leader of the largest opposition party in the appointment of officials like the CBI chief.

"I was surprised why it did not happen (in this case)? I am not questioning the Speaker. I am making an appeal. Can't I make an appeal in parliamentary democracy?" he asked amid interruptions.

The Speaker said she had seen the rules and Kharge could have discussed the issue in her chamber. "I am sorry. This cannot be a matter of discussion."

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu later told reporters that the appointment of the secretary general was a prerogative of the Speaker.

He said the Speaker consults the prime minister and the leader of the opposition but there was no recognised leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.

He said it was not the first time a person from outside the Lok Sabha secretariat had been appointed the secretary general. "They should look inwards before taking up such issue," he said of the Congress.

Mishra, who assumed office Monday, has held several important positions.