Raghav Chadha of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) questioned the Centre for not getting Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s “prior consent” before adding him to the high-level committee for “One Nation, One Election.”
So, apparently, obtaining an MP’s prior approval before appointing them to a high-level committee is now optional? Chadha asked on X (previously known as Twitter). The AAP MP responded by posting a letter written by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to Union Home Minister Amit Shah in which he declined the invitation and stated that he does not seek to be a part of a committee whose terms of reference have been formed in a way that will result in the BJP’s favor. “It’s not like there’s any precedent for suspending MPs for merely suggesting names lawfully, right?” the AAP MP said.
In a letter written to Amit Shah, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “I have no hesitation in declining to serve on the Committee whose terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusion. It is, I am afraid, a total eyewash.”
“Moreover, the sudden attempt to thrust a constitutionally suspect, pragmatically non-feasible, and logistically unimplementable idea on the nation months before the general elections raises serious concerns about the government’s ulterior motives,” Adhir wrote.
“Furthermore, I find that the current LOP in the Rajya Sabha has been excluded. This is a deliberate insult to the system of parliamentary democracy. In these circumstances, I have no option but to decline your invitation,” the Congress leader added.