Chandigarh: AAP leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira today claimed the Punjab government was
planning to appoint Congress MLAs as 'legislative assistants' to pacify
agitating party legislators at the cost of public exchequer.
"Chief
Minister Amarinder Singh is going to appoint Congress MLAs as
Legislative Assistants with independent portfolios. This is nothing but
mockery of the constitution provision that doesn't allow more than 10
per cent ministers of the strength of the Vidhan Sabha," the Leader of
Opposition in the state Assembly said here.
These new
"unconstitutional appointments" are being made on the lines of
parliamentary secretaries, which were quashed by the Punjab and Haryana
High Court, he said.
"Now this is the new modus operandi of
Amarinder Singh to bypass and hoodwink the constitution and pacify
agitating Congress MLAs at the cost of the public exchequer," Khaira
alleged.
He said in the USA, legislative assistants are appointed, but they were paid employees to assist Senators and Congressmen.
"Therefore,
I urge the government not to indulge in this grossly erroneous and
unconstitutional methodology. We will move the High Court against this
illegitimate step of the government," Khaira warned.
PTI
