Removal of advisors 'delayed'; AAP, BJP hand-in-glove to harm Congress: Maken

Congress leader Ajay Maken today alleged that removal of nine Delhi ministers' advisors, whose appointment was cancelled yesterday, was delayed as the AAP and BJP were hand-in-glove in trying to dent his party's prospects in the Lok Sabha polls next year.

Maken charged that the AAP wanted to derive sympathy of the people on the issue as some of the removed advisors were reportedly probables of the party for the 2019 elections.

Following the Union Home Ministry's directions that these posts were "not sanctioned", the appointment of nine advisors to Delhi ministers, including those assisting Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, were cancelled yesterday.

"Though the Shunglu Committee report flagging irregularities in these appointments was submitted to the (then) Lt Governor in November 2016, why it took so long for the Union Home Ministry to act on it," Maken asked today.

The General Administration Department (GAD) of the Delhi government through an order yesterday cancelled the appointment.

The BJP has become "paranoid" because of the rising graph of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and wants to harm the party, he claimed.

"The AAP (in Delhi) and the BJP government at the Centre are hand-in-glove to harm the Congress party in a bid to create a dent in the Congress' vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections."