The proposed salary hike to Delhi MlAs has evoked sharp reactions from political quarters with the Opposition slamming the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government over the move. Reacting to the proposed salary hike, Congress leader Ragini Nayak questioned the recommendations, asking if “selfless service to the people of Delhi required 400 per cent increase in basic salaryIJ”
Quoting the affidavit signed by CM Arvind Kejriwal, she said the CM in his affidavit submitted on June 7, 2013 had taken oath to abide by the values and ideology of AAP and not to take any additional security, beacon cars or a big bungalow as official residence. “The AAP website defines core values of the party as selfless service, commitment to ‘Swaraj’, honesty and integrity, humility, teamwork”.
Nayak asked whether selfless service to the people of Delhi required 400 per cent increase in basic salaryIJ “Does Swaraj means a ‘Raj’ based on the whims and fancies of the majority GovernmentIJ Can honest teamwork be carried out with humility only when the pockets of the MlAs are overstuffed with moneyIJ” she asked.
Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken termed the AAP Government as khas aadmi ki sarkar, adding the recommendations of such a hike in salary of the MlAs, goes against the principles that the AAP Government supposedly professes.
The party workers protesting outside the CM’s residence alleged that widows and senior citizens have not received their pension since 15 months and MlAs are getting salary hikes.
Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay and leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta termed the recommendations as “shocking”.
“The Government doesn’t have funds to give pension, no funds to give salary to sanitation workers. But it is shocking that they want to raise the salary of MlAs to the level that it will now supersede MPs’ salary also. If the recommendations are accepted, the Delhi govt will face an additional burden of Rs20 crore per year,” Upadhyay told reporters here.
Criticising the committee’s recommendation of an increase in the salary from present Rs88,000 to Rs2.10 lakh per month, Opposition leader Vijender Gupta said the committee was built on a prejudice agenda and the outcome was a forgone conclusion.