Letter to BS on AAP's appointment of parliamentary secretaries

This is with reference to “AAP must introspect” (January 24). AAP’s act of wholesale appointment of parliamentary secretaries to distribute delicious crumbs of power indiscriminately was questionable from the very beginning. Ministers holding an executive position while being part of legislature is inevitable but that does not mean the entire legislature (or most of it) can be converted into executive. 

The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959 provides a broad definition of ‘profit’ which includes not only salary/ remuneration/perks but includes occupying any office exercising executive, legislative or judicial power or offices which confer power to disburse funds, allot land or issue licenses. BJP MLA Bajrang Bahadur Singh (along with BSP’s Umashankar Singh) was disqualified from the Uttar Pradesh assembly in 2015 on grounds of getting government contracts.

Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Punjab and Haryana and Assam High Courts have struck down the appointment of parliamentary secretaries by different parties ruling at different points of time in their respective states. It is heartening to see the Election Commissioner, President and courts taking a tough line on the issue and not permitting political parties to accommodate the ambitions and aspirations of their members at the cost of public/taxpayers’ money. The Aam Adami Party will give a better account of itself by respectfully abiding by the President’s decision.

Ajay Tyagi  Guwahati

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