AAP demands removal of BJP’s Patra and Lalpura for violating CCS rules

Training guns on BJP functionaries Sambit Patra and Iqbal Singh Lalpura, Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday said that the former, as ITDC chairman, and the latter, as National Minorities Commission chairperson, have been violating Rule 5 of Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1965, and taking part in elections and politics.

Demanding their removal, AAP has written to the Union tourism minister G Kishan Reddy and Union home minister Amit Shah, respectively, while marking a copy of the letters to CVC chairman Suresh N Patel.

The development comes days after the planning department of Delhi government served a showcause notice on DDC vice-chairman Jasmine Shah on a complaint of West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma citing the same rule.

In a letter to Reddy, senior AAP functionary and Kalkaji MLA Atishi alleged that Patra was "demeaning a public office and misusing it" for party work. She added that after his appointment as the chairman of India Tourism Development Corporation, Patra did not demit his previous post of BJP national spokesperson and continued to take part in party's press conferences, election campaigns and representing it in TV debates.

When contacted, Patra said since the AAP had lodged the complaint with the CVC, he did not wish to react on the issue. Sources, however, said his position was a non-executive one and there couldn't be any restriction on his political activity.