HC seeks Delhi’s response to PIL on 21 Parl Secys

The Delhi high court has again sought responses from the Delhi government, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and LG Najeeb Jung on a plea against the move to appoint 21 AAP legislators as Parliamentary Secretaries.

A division Bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath asked them to file their responses by October 7. On May 20 also, the court had asked for the response by July 1, but none of the parties filed their replies. The Delhi government’s counsel Raman Duggal told the high court that the 21 Parliamentary Secretaries were not holding offices of profit and that no facilities were given to them. 

The Delhi Assembly recently passed a bill to allow 21 AAP legislators to continue as Parliamentary Secretaries, the counsel said. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by NGO ‘Rashtriya Mukti Morcha’ against the Delhi government’s move on Parliamentary Secretaries. The PIL said the appointments were “unconstitutional, illegal and without jurisdiction”, adding that the chief minister had “no power, jurisdiction or authority” to administer <g data-gr-id="17">oath</g> of office to these Parliamentary Secretaries. The petitioner urged the court to scrap the appointments. After returning to power in February 2015, the Kejriwal government appointed the Parliamentary Secretaries and attached them to various government departments.