Dehradun: Former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy objected against the sacking of employees from the Uttarakhand Assembly and the Haridwar Har Ki Pauri corridor, being built in Haridwar. The BJP leader is known for statements against his own government, However, this is the first time he has come to Dehradun from Delhi.
Speaking to reporters, Swami contended that the state government and the Speaker of the Assembly have acted contrary to the rules. Swami said that in the context that employees were regularly recruited from 2001 to 2015, the sudden cancellation of appointments in 2016 is a violation of the right to equality guaranteed under Article 14.
He said that he will be taking up the matter in the Supreme Court adding that he has won all his cases in the past. Swami has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami asking how two different types of laws can be functional in the same institution.
It may be noted that earlier on September 3, 2022, a committee was constituted to look into alleged back-door recruitments in the Uttarakhand Assembly. Acting on the report of this committee the Speaker of the Assembly dismissed 228 employees. The employees then went to the High Court.
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A single-judge bench of the High Court ruled in favor of the employees. The Assembly Secretariat, however, challenged this decision of the single-judge bench following which a two-judge bench was formed which upheld the decision of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and justified its action. Following this, a special petition was filed by the employees in the Supreme Court but it was rejected.
In addition to this, Swamy has also objected to Chief Minister Dhami's dream project- the Haridwar Harkipauri Corridor. Though Swami said that he will look into the specifics of this corridor, he said that there is no need for such a corridor between Haridwar and Uttarakhand as of now. He urged the Dhami government to construct proper roads in the state, improve their conditions and stop the exploitation of the mountains.
The Uttarakhand government is going to build a corridor on Harkipauri that will connect the major temples in Haridwar, on the lines of a similar project in Uttar Pradesh's Kashi. A consultant agency is being sought for this project and work on the detailed project report is about to start.
Swamy who has been a vocal critic of his won government had earlier opposed the formation of the Devasthanam Board set up by the Uttarakhand government. Swamy had warned that if priests are harmed due to the formation of the Devasthanam Board he will explore legal options against his own government.
The BJP has not reacted to Subramaniam Swamy's statement. However, Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri said that the matter is pending in the Supreme Court and hence it would not be wise to do anything in haste. Swamy being a senior lawyer can put forth his views anywhere, Khanduri said adding that the Assembly has acted according to the rules.
