Sukhu-led government has rushed to SC seeking to validate appointment of six parliamentary secretaries NEW DELHI: Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government of Himachal Pradesh has rushed to Supreme Court seeking to validate appointment of six parliamentary secretaries based on a 2006 state law that was quashed by high court two days ago for being illegal and unconstitutional. The Sukhu government, facing internal dissension for some time which was reflected in the loss of Congress candidate A M Singhvi after a tie with the BJP candidate in Rajya Sabha election in February, revealed its real apprehension. "The legal consequence would be that six parliamentary secretaries, who are also MLAs, are likely to face disqualification under Article 192 of the Constitution as the protection granted to them from the office of profit norms has been taken away, without adjudication, causing political instability," the state government said.
It questioned the correctness of HC's November 13 judgment and sought a stay. The appeal is likely to be mentioned before CJI Sanjiv Khanna for urgent hearing on Monday. The state government said HC erred in finding similarities between Himachal Pradesh Parliament Secretaries (Appointment, Salaries, Allowances, Powers, Privileges and Amenities) Act, enacted in 2006 by the Congress government led by Virbhadra Singh, and Assam Parliamentary Secretaries (Appointment, Salaries and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2004, which was enacted by the Tarun Gogo.
