The Delhi Government’s services department has revoked 177 political appointments made during the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s tenure.  According to services department’s order, the terms of the nominated non-official officer bearers/members of the non statutory/statutory bodies, authorities, boards, committees and academics are being terminated with immediate effect. Many of these nominations involved current and former AAP MLAs, ministers’ family members, and senior party officials, who were placed in influential roles across bodies such as the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Haj Committee and various other language academies.

In an order, services department’s deputy secretary Bhairab Dutt said, “The Competent Authority is pleased to terminate the terms of the nominated non official office bearers of the non statutory/statutory bodies, authorities, boards, committees and academics with immediate effect”. “Further all the Departments of GNCTD are directed by the Competent Authority to carry out similar exercise in respect of the

authorities or bodies etc under their administrative control and submit proposal for reconstitution of such bodies etc,” reads the order.

The order has been marked to Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor of Delhi; secretary to Chief Minister, all secretaries to ministers of Delhi government, staff officer to chief secretary, all additional chief secretaries/principal secretaries/secretaries/head of departments/sub-ordinate bodies, public undertakings.

Following this order, former AAP MLAs Abdul Rahman and Haji Yunus have been terminated from Delhi State Haj Committee. The appointment of Kamal Bansal as chairman of the Tirath Yatra Vikas Samiti and FI Ismailee from Urs Committee has been revoked.

Former AAP MLAs Jarnail Singh and Somdutt have been removed from Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Advisory Committee. Former AAP MLAs Madan Lal and Bhawna Gaur have been sacked from Tree Committee.  Senior AAP leader and former Delhi Minister Gopal Rai has been removed from Chairperson of Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board.

Among the prominent figures affected is AAP MLA Pawan Rana, who had been appointed chairman of the Delhi Jal Board, and MLA Vinay Mishra, who served as its vice-chairman. Preeti Tomar, wife of former AAP minister Jitendra Tomar, was also a member of the same board. Jarnail Singh was also the vice-chairman of the Punjabi Academy.

The appointment of five AAP workers  — Ajesh Yadav, Adeel Ahmed Khan, Ram Baran, Zafar Alam and Ajay Singh Bhardwaj have also been cancelled as members. Shehpar Rasool has been terminated as Vice Chairperson of Urdu Academy and 19 others have also been removed as non-official member.

Rashmi Khurana has been terminated from the post of non-official member of  Sahitya Kala Parishad along with her 20 sub-ordinates. Harsharan Singh BAlli has been sacked as Vice Chairman of Punjabi Academy while 15 non official members have also been removed by t Services Department. The department has terminated KK Sharma as Vice Chairperson of Sanskrit Academy, six others as non-official members. Suresh Kumar Khatri has been terminated as Vice Chairperson of Sindhi Academy along with 13 non-official members.