India News | Petition in HC Challenges Raghav Chadha's Appointment by AAP Govt in Punjab

Chandigarh, Jul 12 (PTI) A petition was filed on Tuesday in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the appointment of AAP MP Raghav Chadha as the chairman of a temporary advisory committee by the Punjab government.

Petitioner Jagmohan Singh Bhatti contended that the appointment amounts to forming “a parallel government within the government” which was not permissible.

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The AAP government's move to appoint Chadha on Monday had evoked a sharp reaction from the opposition parties.

Chadha, who is a chartered accountant by profession, is expected to play an essential role in financial planning and making Punjab a debt-free state, an official spokesperson of the chief minister's office had said.

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Bhatti, who is a lawyer, challenged the appointment of Chadha on various grounds.

The matter is yet to be listed before the court.

In his petition, Bhatti contended that the chief secretary had no such power to issue a notification regarding the temporary advisory committee.

Its "bare reading shows that the chief minister is of the view that a body (temporary in nature) is required to tender advice to the Government of Punjab on matters of public importance (not specified)", said the petitioner.

“An additional burden on the State Public Exchequer by way of providing the staff and infrastructure has been created and the funds meant for the development of the State of Punjab cannot be diverted under such camouflage,” the petitioner submitted.

Bhatti claimed, “a minister rank has been conferred on the alleged temporary and ad hoc committee headed with its chairman Raghav Chadha to advise the government of Punjab on the matters of public importance pertaining to the Public Administration with all facilities.”

The petitioner submitted that the ministerial rank “amounts to a berth in the state Cabinet which is not permissible constitutionally and the same is illegal and arbitrary as it has been done at the instance of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal....”

Notably, after Chadha was appointed as the chairman of the advisory committee, the opposition parties targeted the AAP-led government, accusing Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of “reaffirming his rubber stamp status and making Chadha as de facto CM".

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)