Home Ministry says these posts hadn't been approved by the centre as required under a 1997 circular
Highlights
- Home Ministry said these posts hadn't been approved by the centre
- AAP government had created the posts of consultants and advisers
- AAP's Raghav Chadha called it diversionary tactics by the centre
Setting up a fresh round of confrontation with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi, the central government has cancelled the appointments of nine advisers and consultants, saying the posts did not have the approval of the centre.
The list includes the names of AAP spokespersons Raghav Chadha and Atishi Marlena whose appointments were made for a token monthly salary of Re 1.
An order issued by the union home ministry today said the appointments by the Delhi Cabinet, which created the posts of consultants and advisers in 2015, had been done "by an agency not competent under the law to do so".
The order, cleared by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, comes days after the home ministry said that these posts hadn't been approved by the central government as required under a 1997 circular, and reiterated in 2015.
"Since creation of these posts and subsequent appointments on these posts are not valid, all previous orders regarding creation of these posts and appointments made against them are hereby cancelled," the order said.
While Mr Chadha was made adviser to Delhi finance minister Manish Sisodia, Ms Marlena functioned as the adviser to Deputy Chief Minister, a post also held by Mr Sisodia.
"Modi Govt's order to remove Delhi govt advisors is a conspiracy to derail education revolution in Delhi. Real intention of the order is to paralyse our govt work, since no BJP govt has been able to deliver anything on education & health," tweeted Mr Sisodia.
Mr Chadha took to Twitter, saying that his appointment was for a period two months and a half in 2016 to help prepare the Annual Budget, at a token salary of Re 1 a month.
He also questioned the home ministry's order, calling it a "diversionary" tactic. Ms Marlena was appointed to help the Delhi government with improving the educational standard at schools.
The latest flashpoint between the centre and the Arvind Kejriwal government comes at a time the row over the disqualification of 20 AAP lawmakers for holding offices of profit as parliamentary secretaries is yet to be settled.
Last month, the Delhi High Court had set aside the Election Commission's order
disqualifying the lawmakers and asked the poll panel to hear their pleas afresh.