The appointment of Public Relations Minister Narottam Mishra in the committee for deciding information commissioners, has triggered a war of letters between Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the leader of the Opposition Ajay Singh.
Two days ago, Ajay Singh has written to the Chief Minister objecting the appointment of Minister Narottam Mishra, alleging that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has disqualified him.
Challenging legality of Mishra’s appointment as member of the panel which would appoint two Information Commissioners, leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Ajay Singh raised concern that Mishra has been declared ineligible by Election Commission of India and his case is still pending in Delhi High Court. He demanded another person in place of Mishra and failing to which he would not attend meeting for selection of two Information Commissioners, he added.
However, in reply to Singh, Chouhan on Monday stated that there would be no change in the three-member committee set up to select Information Commissioners in Madhya Pradesh.
In a letter to Singh, Chouhan said Public Relations Minister Mishra’s unseating by the Election Commission in June had since been stayed by the High Court. The Chief Minister and Ajay Singh are members of the selection committee.
On June 24, the EC had disqualified Mishra for three years for filing wrong accounts of election expenditure, rendering his election from Datia assembly constituency void.
Replying to the letter of the Chief Minister, Ajay Singh categorically said that the High Court or Gwalior, Jabalpur or Delhi have not given any stay in the case.
However, he stated that the Supreme Court did provide temporary relief to Mishra, but it is not permanent.
Singh said, that challenging the decision of ECI, Mishra had moved to High Court in Delhi and Supreme Court urging to allow him for attending the Monsoon session of the State assembly and voting in the Present election. But the court his plea was set aside.
Singh claimed that no court has denied the decision of ECI. The case has been left pending only to know his (Mishra’s) side of argument, Singh added. He reiterated that to avoid any further controversies over the decision of the panel, somebody else should be appointed in place of Mishra.