AAP's move to appoint 21 party MLAs as parliamentary secretaries 'unconstitutional': Ajay Maken

New Delhi: AAP’s move to appoint 21 party MLAs as parliamentary secretaries is “unconstitutional” and an attempt to elevate them to the status of ‘super MLAs’ for maintaining party unity, Congress leader Ajay Maken said on Monday. [caption id=“attachment_2317756” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Ajay Maken.[/caption] Terming the Delhi Legislative Assembly Members (Prevention of Disqualification) (Amendment) Bill, as an act of corruption, the Delhi Congress Chief asked AAP legislators to follow the “example set by Sonia Gandhi” in resigning as an MP when questions were raised about her holding an ‘office of profit’ in 2006. The Delhi Assembly recently passed the bill, that would allow 21 AAP legislators to continue as parliamentary secretaries. The bill seeks to insert the word ‘MINISTER’ after the words ‘CHIEF MINISTER’ in the Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of the Disqualification) Act, 1997 which was enacted as a law in order to exempt certain offices from being disqualified for being chosen as, or for being, a Member of Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Citing a Calcutta High Court judgement that quashed the appointment of parliamentary secretaries by the West Bengal government, Maken urged Lt Governor Najeeb Jung not to give his assent to the bill in question. “Now that a PIL is pending in the Delhi High Court then what was the hurry? This is simply an attempt to maintain unity in their party by accommodating party MLAs in VIP berths. “The legislation is also in violation of Article 164(1A), Article 239AA of the Constitution which fixes the limit of Council of Ministers in a legislative Assembly which stands at 10 per cent in Delhi,” he said. Addressing a press conference here, Maken said that AAP was “technically, legally and morally wrong” in the case. “Moreover the bill would have a retrospective effect despite no public interest involved,” he said. The Congress leader also questioned the AAP government’s “silence” on the issue of Lokpal Bill and appointment of a Lokayukta and linked it to the standoff of the ruling party with the Lt Governor over the Anti-Corruption Branch chief. “They (AAP) want someone of their own to head the ACB as the body would come under the purview of Lokpal as and when it is passed, hence the wrangling. But they are not even talking of Lokpal this time for which they had apparently quit last time,” he said. PTI