Delhi HC quashes appointment of 21 AAP Parliamentary Secretary
Non Congress political party including BJP welcomes the verdict said the same be complied with the Manipur government
Source: IT News

Imphal, September 08 2016: Non congress political parties in the state has started questioning the legitimacy of appointing Parliamentary Secretaries in the Okram Ibobi Singh led Congress government in the state after the Delhi High Court today quashed the appointment of 21 AAP MLAs as parliamentary secretaries.

BJP Manipur Pradesh President Ksh.

Bhavananda, while speaking to Imphal Times said that they welcome the court verdict.

The case of the Delhi Government appointing Parliamentary Secretary is different from the state of Manipur as in the case of Manipur the Parliamentary secretaries are allowed to enjoy full status of Minister of state and also enjoy all sort of privileges as well as salary, the state BJP President added.

"As there is a ruling in the Delhi High court we are hopeful that the same will be complied to the Manipur.

The verdict showed that nobody is above the law", Bhavananda in an telephonic conversation with Imphal Times said.

A similar case is being filed to the Manipur High Court but verdict is still yet to be announced.

Bhavananda also express positive outcome and said that even as there is no penalty associated to the Delhi High Court verdict, as for the state of Manipur Chief Minister Okram should forfeit all expenditures entitled to all the five Parliamentary secretaries.

A bench headed by chief justice G Rohini of the Delhi High Court quashed the controversial appointments that were also declined by the President in June this year.

Agency reports said the High Court's order comes after a PIL, which was filed by NGO Rashtriya Mukti Morcha, sought scrapping of the appointments for being "unconstitutional, illegal and without jurisdiction" .

Following the verdict, when Imphal Times contacted MLAs of the ruling Congress government in the state, an MLA who also hold important portfolio in the party organization says that it is too early to comment on the ruling of the Delhi High Court as the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries in the state was done by following proper order.

"The nature of appointment might be different from that of the appointment in our state and there may be lapses for their government", he said.

"For our government we have passed a Bill and after getting assent of the Governor on behalf of the President of India Parliamentary Secretaries have been appointed", the congress MLAs who does not want to reveal his name said.

General Secretary of CPI-(M), Ksh.

Shanta when contacted said that as there has already been a verdict it is better that the state government too apprises the court ruling as it might spark another constitutional crisis.

At Present Manipur Government has appointed 5 Parliamentary Secretaries after the government cannot expand the ministry more than 12 as according to the guideline of the 10 Scheduled of the Representation of the Peoples' Act.

The Parliamentary secretaries are entitled equal status with that of the Minister of State in term of salary and power.

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