No collective responsibility in Narendra Modi government: Congress

NEW DELHI: The Congress has latched to the ‘abrupt change’ of the Union home secretary to accuse Prime Minister Modi of engineering “complete centralisation of all powers in one person” and reducing ministers and senior bureaucrats to spectators.

AICC spokesperson Anand Sharma charged the PMO with doing away with the principle of collective responsibility of the Cabinet and stripping key bureaucrats of their protection of a fixed tenure.

Sharma wondered whether remarks of outgoing home secretary LC Goyal that his ministry was not aware of the details of the recent Naga peace accord which the PM announced had something to do with his sudden exit.

“The manner in which the senior Union ministers and key bureaucrats are being treated only underscores the undemocratic mindset of PM Modi.

The ministers get to know who are their departmental secretaries only through official announcements.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh who is in the Cabinet Committee of Appointments comes to know about key appointment only through media.

The key officials such as Cabinet secretary, home secretary, the foreign secretary etc, who have been given the constitutional protection of a fixed tenure to discharge their sensitive duties with a sense of stability and confidence, are being removed abruptly,” Sharma said.