‘BJP's Sambit Patra, Iqbal Singh Lalpura violating Central Civil Services rules’: AAP

Patra and Lalpura did not respond immediately to the AAP's demand for their removal.

Image Credit: ANI

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday demanded the Centre to remove BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra as ITDC chairman and Iqbal Singh Lalpura as minority commission chief for allegedly violating Central Civil Services (Conduct) rules and misusing the post for party work. In a letter to Union Tourism minister G Kishan Reddy, senior AAP leader Atishi alleged that despite being the chairman of the India Tourism Development Corporation, Patra continued to campaign for the BJP which is a "blatant violation of CCS (Conduct) Rules". AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj also wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and demanded immediate removal of the National Commission for Minority (NCM) chairperson Lalpura from the post, alleging that he is heading the statutory body in ‘gross violation’ of the CCS (Conduct) Rules as he continues to be an active member of the BJP and its parliamentary board. No immediate reaction could be had from Patra and Lalpura on the AAP's demand for their removal.

The AAP leaders' letters come days after the Delhi government's planning department issued a show cause notice to Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi Vice-Chairperson Jasmine Shah over charges of "misusing public office" by acting as the "official spokesperson" of the AAP. The notice had been issued following a complaint by BJP leader and West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma. The AAP had termed the notice "yet another attack on the Delhi government due to its rising graph in Gujarat". "I have written a letter to the Union Tourism minister and the Central Vigilance Commission, demanding the removal of Sambit Patra from the ITDC's chairman's post. "Despite remaining ITDC chairman and holding public office, Patra did not demit the post of BJP National Spokesperson," the AAP MLA said during a media briefing. "He uploaded several political videos on social media which were shot in his office which is a textbook example of misuse of public office," she claimed.