AAP questions Shashi Kant Sharma’s appointment as CAG
There would be a conflict of interest as Sharma has been overseeing defence deals as defence secretary, says AAP’s Prashant Bhushan
New Delhi: A member of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday questioned the appointment of Shashi Kant Sharma as the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), calling it unconstitutional.
There would be a conflict of interest as Sharma has been overseeing defence deals as defence secretary, said Prashant Bhushan, lawyer and AAP member.
“While quashing the earlier CVC’s (chief vigilance commissioner) appointment, the Supreme Court had talked about institutional integrity," Bhushan told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday. “On the same lines that the CVC’s appointment was quashed, this too should be quashed because it is illegal and unconstitutional."
The Supreme Court quashed the appointment of P.J. Thomas as CVC in 2011 because of a corruption case pending against him. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accepted responsibility for his role in the appointment of the official.
Bhushan also said that a transparent mechanism should be adopted while appointing heads of institutions such as the Election Commission and the Central Information Commission. “The selection cannot be controlled by the government and certainly cannot be arbitrary," Bhushan said.
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