A day after cancellation of the appointments of nine Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members as advisors and consultants in various departments, the AAP slammed the Centre and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holding them responsible for the situation. The party accused the Centre of unfairly targeting its appointees.
AAP national spokesperson Raghav Chadha on Wednesday send a letter along with a demand draft worth Rs 2.50 to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which was a day after he was allegedly removed from his position as advisor to the Delhi Finance Minister.
Chadha, in his letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, said, “While we cannot change what is past, please accept enclosed a Demand Draft of Rs. 2.50 in favour of “Ministry of Home Affairs” that I earned in my capacity as advisor as a token of my remorse”. Chadha was among the nine advisors in the AAP-led Delhi Government to various posts, which also included Atishi Marlena, special advisor to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Chadha claimed that Rs 2.50 was the entire amount he drew from the Delhi Government for the position he was sacked from.
Chadha said that during his time as advisor he allegedly drew an honorarium of Rs 1 per month. “I was appointed as advisor to the Delhi Finance Minister in 2015 since I had experience working as a chartered accountant. I worked for only 75 days to help prepare the Budget and then I stepped down from the post. During that time, the entire amount I earned was Rs 2.50. I am returning that money,” he said.
“In 2015, after the AAP came to power it had appointed people who are experts in their respective fields as advisors in the Government. This was done to ensure that all the work that was promised to the people of Delhi happens efficiently. These people had been working without any greed for the people of Delhi and it is regretful that they had to be targeted for that,” said Chadha.
It may be noted that appointments of nine advisors to the Delhi Government were cancelled by the MHA on Tuesday. Four of the nine advisors who have been sacked had already quit their posts before the MHA order. This comes after AAP MlAs, who were suspended for holding 'Office of Profit', were restored by the Delhi High Court.