Senior bureaucrat Anoop Mishra was named Lok Sabha Secretary General by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday, even as the Congress protested against the move, alleging that it was not consulted over the appointment.
According to reports, Leader of the Congress Party in the House Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that due procedure of consulting the opposition was not followed during Mishra's appointment.
However, Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu denied Kharge's allegations, adding that Mahajan was within her rights to appoint Mishra.
"The appointment of the Lok Sabha Secretary General is the prerogative of the Speaker, the presiding officer of the House. The Speaker consults the leader of the House, the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition. If the person is approved, then the position is given," Naidu told the media.
"In the present case, there is no recognised opposition leader, so the question of consulting the opposition leader as per the act or rules does not arise," he added.
Naidu further said that Mishra's appointment despite not being an official of the Lok Sabha was not the first time such a move had been made, pointing to earlier office holders, including under previous Congress regimes.
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"There have been instances of outsiders being appointed Secretary General in the past as well, including that of SN Mishra in 1996. The Congress should not make issues out of non-issues," he said.
With his appointment, Mishra replaces P K Grover, who was superannuated.