Modi's decision to put on hold the appointment of private secretaries reflects his "double standard": Congress

NEW DELHI: Congress today attacked Prime Miinster Narendra Modi over his government's decision to put on hold the appointment of private secretaries to some Union Ministers alleging it reflects his "double standard".

"This is is unfortunate and this reflects Modi's double standard. When it comes to appointing his Principal secretary (Nripendra Mishra), he resorts to an Ordinance while he is not allowing the ministers to have their personal staffs. This is a minister's prerogative to appoint his personal staff," AICC general secretary Ajay Maken told reporters here.

His reaction came a day after reports about the government's decision to put on hold the appointment of private secretaries of three Union Ministers including Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The decision is understood to have been taken in the wake of a circular from the Personnel Department that the appointment of the minister's personal staff including private secretaries and officers on special duty, should be cleared by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet.

In the case of Rajnath Singh, the name proposed for private secretary to him is Alok Singh, a 1995 batch IPS officer who worked with External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid in the previous UPA government.

While there was no word officially from the Personnel Department, the sources said the new government is unlikely to clear appointments of officers who had served on the ministerial staff of the previous dispensation.

Maken said this was unfortunate as "officials are apolitical. So if somebody has worked with the earlier ministers of an earlier regime, that does not indicate their personal leaning."