Chandigarh, December 26, 2019 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore has thwarted the move of chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, to appoint six Congress MLAs as his advisers equivalent to the rank of Minister, by amending the relevant Act in place, to save his chair.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has welcomed the decision of the governor, saying that the Governor was expected not only to declare the appointment of the six Congress MLAs as advisors as ultra vires, but also to disqualify them from the ‘Office of Profit sooner than later.
In a joint statement issued from party headquarters in Chandigarh on Thursday, party MLAs Principal Budh Ram, Bibi Sarabjit Kaur Manuke, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Prof. Baljinder Kaur, Rupinder Kaur Ruby, Jai Kishan Singh Rouri and Manjit Singh Bilaspur said that the Captain Government had brought about an unconstitutional amendment to the Punjab State Legislative Prevention of Disqualify Act, which was a tantamount to the infringement of the Constitution.
Lauding the role of the Governor by performing his constitutional obligation, they said that he (The Governor) had not only defended the constitution but had also saved worth crores of public money by returning the proposed amendment in the Act unapproved.
The AAP leaders appealed to the Governor that, if the Captain government gave a suitable reply to the 13 points raised by them, they may not be considered. They also sought disqualification of the six MLAs appointed as advisers equivalent to the rank of minister, alleging that the government facilities and other allowances being paid to them were covered under the ‘Office of Profit’, besides being violative of the quota of 15 per cent of the total members fixed under the norm.
The AAP MLAs demanded that all financial benefits being drawn by the advisers, including Kushaldeep Singh ‘Kiki’ Dhillon, Kuljit Singh Nagra, Sangat Singh Giljian, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Inderbir Singh Bularia and Kuldeep Singh Vaid (All MLAs) on account of their salaries, petrol- diesel allowances etc should collected from their account and deposited in the cash-strapped public exchequer.
Flaying the advisers for giving advisory to Captain Amarinder Singh through the media, to go for a rejig in the council of ministers according to their report card (performance), saying that if they (the advisers) had to advise the chief minister only through the media, why carry the unnecessary burden of crores of rupees to be paid to them?
