NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday declined the AAP’s request to appoint Raghav Chadha as the party’s interim leader in the Upper House.
The move is likely to escalate the ongoing tussle between the government and the Opposition.
Early this month, Arvind Kejriwal recommended Chadha’s name to Dhankhar to be appointed as the interim leader of the AAP in the Rajya Sabha since Sanjay Singh was in judicial custody and unable to attend Parliament.
Responding to Kejriwal’s request, Dhankhar wrote, “This aspect is subject to ‘The Leaders and Chief Whips of Recognised Parties and Groups in Parliament (Facilities) Act, 1998’ and the Rules made thereunder. The request, not conforming to the applicable legal regime, is not being acceded to.”
Under ‘The Leaders and Chief Whips of Recognised Parties and Groups in Parliament (Facilities) Act, referred to by Dhankhar in his letter to Kejriwal, there is no provision for an “interim leader”.
Speaking to this newspaper, former Lok Sabha secretary general PDT Achary said that there is no provision for a post of an “interim leader” under the above-mentioned rule. Achary, however, said that Kejriwal can recommend the name of any leader after Singh’s term is over. Singh’s term as an RS member expires on January 27.
AAP sources, however, said RS officials have suggested some corrections in the letter sent to the chairman for nominating Chadha as interim leader and the same would be addressed.