Modi govt appointing favourite officers to statutory positions

Amid the row over appointment of CBI Director, Congress today accused the Modi government of "perfecting the art of appointing favourites" by superceding deserving candidates to statutory positions.
"Modi Government has followed a policy of disappointing those who deserve an appointment, reappointing favourites while keeping unrest in the ranks of officers, superseding higher officers to appoint rank juniors and frustrate all statutory processes," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.
He said, "the Modi Government has thus perfected the art of appointment and reappointment by stealth, for extraneous and ulterior motives throwing merit to the winds and actuated by negative motives of personal benefit."

Singhvi alleged that Modi-led BJP/NDA has consistently followed a policy of disappointing those who deserve an appointment, reappointing its favourites while creating unrest in the ranks of officers, superseding higher officers to appoint rank juniors.
He said, it has been keeping several officers in officiating/ad hoc positions "to control, overawe and influence them and finally, delay and frustrate all statutory appointment processes".
The Congress leaders cited several examples of these "unsavoury, deceptive, illegal, unhealthy and stealthily implemented activities of Modi Ji and his Government".

He said for over two and half years, the nation's most powerful anti corruption crusader (Lokpal) has not been appointed.

"Do you remember the intemperate language used by BJP when in opposition regarding non passage of the Lokpal Act? After 30 months they are unable to even operationalise what we created.
"The Attorney General admitted in Court that 'things cannot go on like this' and promised to convey it to 'highest quarters'. As before, his advice may well have fallen on deaf ears," he said.
Singhvi said a simple amendment including the leader of single largest party/or LOP was not done for months to preclude the CBI Director from being chosen by a broad based Committee which would include the CJI.

He said the previous incumbent Sinha's retirement date being known, no attempt was made to convene a meeting of the Selection Committee for almost a year even after the amendment regarding LOP had been done.
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Singhvi cited the example of present NIA Director General Sharad Kumar, appointed in 2013. The NDA government decided to re-employ him on contract basis for a further period of one year.
"Surprisingly the process was repeated again this year whereby he would continue as director for a further period of one year starting November 1, 2016," he said.
The Congress leader also cited the example of the Army Chief who is due to retire within this month.

"There is complete uncertainty, lack of transparency and any preparatory exercise even on this vital issue affecting national security," he said.
He also said that Karnal Singh was appointed in August 2015 as Director of Enforcement initially on an ad-hoc basis and this arrangement continued for more than a year and in February 2016 he was given a further third extension for a 6 month period. He was finally appointed to the post on 26.10.2016.
"We all remember Modiji's avoidance tactics as CM Gujarat and desperate attempts to prevent operationalisation of the State Lokpal. Even after years of vacancy, the Modi Government did not make the appointment on one pretext or the other, till the Governor was forced to do so in 2011.

"Even then the State of Gujarat vigorously challenged the appointment in SC and avoided a state watchdog till SC upheld Justice Mehta's appointment in 2013. Modi Ji was jubilant when Justice Mehta declined the appointment, citing grave denigration of that office. Even then Modi Ji did not relent," he said.
Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Modi over the appointment of Gujarat cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as interim Director of CBI and raised strong concerns over his appointment.
Kharge has alleged that the process of selection of the new director of the investigation agency has been vitiated.

In his letter, Kharge has asked Prime Minister Modi to immediately convene a meeting of the Selection Committee to select the new CBI Director, after which the PMO has sought a convenient time from Kharge.
Kharge alleged that the transfer of Special Director R K Dutta, the senior-most officer after the Director, as Special Secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs, appears to have been "deliberately done" to facilitate giving charge of the post of CBI Director to an officiating junior officer.
"It thus gives rise to apprehensions that the process of selecting the Director, CBI, has been vitiated and is being manipulated to pre-empt the decision to be arrived at in the meeting of the Selection Committee," he said.