New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) The AAP on Tuesday blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the rejection by President Pranab Mukherjee of a Bill for approving 21 MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries in Delhi.
"The central government is discriminating against our government in Delhi," Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh told a press conference here.
"The Modi government should not lie. It should reveal the truth on whose recommendation the Bill was rejected by the President," he said.
The remark came after Pranab Mukherjee reportedly rejected the Delhi government's Bill to protect the post of Parliamentary Secretaries with retrospective effect.
"President's rule anywhere in the country is imposed by the President on the recommendation of the central government," Sanjay Singh said.
The AAP leader alleged that the central government was stalling the work of the Delhi government as it had not been able to digest its defeat in the 2015 Delhi assembly polls.
Sanjay Singh said other states like Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where there is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government too had Parliamentary Secretaries but the Modi government was opposed to the idea only in Delhi.
Another AAP leader Ashutosh said Parliamentary Secretaries in Delhi were not drawing any salaries and so did not invite the legal and constitutional provisions against the office of profit.
"The parliamentary secretaries are getting monthly salary and other allowances from state governments. But the Parliamentary Secretaries of Delhi are not getting any type of financial benefit from the government," he said.
"Delhi's parliamentary secretaries can only use the official transport for official purpose if required," he added.
Accusing the central government of being biased against the AAP, Ashutosh wondered if the appointment of parliamentary secretaries is legal in other states why is it illegal in Delhi.
He said the matter of appointment of the 21 AAP MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries is pending before the Election Commission.
"Modi fears Kejriwal and has always been looking to stop AAP. Therefore he keeps stalling development projects of the Delhi government," he said.
"Many Bills of the Delhi government are pending because Modi government gave a red signal," Ashutosh said.
"Modi government is not concerned about farmers' suicides, inflation, people dying due to drug addiction in Punjab and other major burning issues," Ashutosh alleged.
