The Delhi High Court today asked the Centre to respond to a plea of an AAP MLA challenging their decision to appoint BJP leader Karan Singh Tanwar as Vice Chairman of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
Justice V P Vaish however refused to cancel the appointment and stay the oath ceremony of Tanwar, while issuing notices to NDMC, Delhi government and the BJP leader directing them to file their responses before September 3.
Interestingly, Tanwar has also filed a plea against AAP MLA Surender Singh in the High Court alleging that he has a fake graduation degree. Tanwar lost to Singh in the last assembly elections from the Delhi Cantonment constituency.
Also Read
Surender Singh has moved the court challenging the Centre's July 8 notification appointing Tanwar as the NDMC Vice Chairman and sought cancellation of his appointment.
Senior advocate Sudhir Nandrajog, appearing for Singh, claimed that "the petitioner is aggrieved by the biased and illegal action of the respondents in appointing Karan Singh Tanwar as Member and Vice Chairperson of the NDMC in a prima facie biased manner in blatant and utter disregard of the procedure prescribed under section 4 of NDMC Act."
The MLA, who was present in the court room, through his advocate further said the appointment has been made without "occurrence and consultation" of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
"For this reason alone, the same will lead to friction in the operation of the NDMC as the said body falls under the jurisdiction of the state government being a Municipality and therefore, if the Vice Chairperson of the body has not been appointed in consultation with the state government, it is bound to affect the smooth functioning of NDMC, thereby depriving the citizens of Delhi of an efficient public administration," Singh's counsel contended.
