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CM accused of nepotism over new DCW chief

Last Updated 16 July 2015, 04:18 IST

 The Opposition parties on Wednesday accused the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government of “nepotism” over the appointment of the chief minister’s grievances advisor, Swati Maliwal, as next chief of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW).


Maliwal, 30, is married to Naveen Jaihind, a Haryana-based leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). She was Kejriwal’s associate in the India Against Corruption movement.
She will take charge of DCW on Friday when the tenure of the current chief Barkha Singh ends, Delhi government said.

Accusing Kejriwal of “moral corruption and nepotism”, Congress spokesperson Sharmishtha Mukherjee, said: “I condemn the blatant appointment of favourites without any transparent procedure. On what grounds has the AAP government chosen her for this post?”

“Going by media reports on Maliwal’s likely appointment as DCW chairperson and Arvind Kejriwal’s ongoing political parleys with Nitish Kumar, it appears India’s self proclaimed Mr Clean has now changed his stand on fight against corruption and family connections in politics,” Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said. 

In January 2014, Kejriwal had accused Barkha Singh of taking  “politically motivated” actions as she was a former Congress MLA and had said she should be replaced by Hindi author Pushpa Maitree.  Mukherjee said the Kejriwal government had now taken a U-turn.

The Congress leader said Mukherjee said Maliwal as advisor to Kejriwal was currently drawing monthly emoluments of over Rs 1 lakh with other government perks.

“It was yet another instance of the Kejriwal government putting selected Aam Aadmi Party volunteers to high offices on high salaries with all the perks and facilities of a minister, discarding the cloak of the common man’s party which it has professed to be,” she alleged.

“Kejriwal’s confidante Swati to be appointed DCW chief. AAP to follow Cong lead to appoint partisans to statutory posts. Alternative politics?” former AAP leader Prashant Bhushan tweeted.

BJP’s Upadhyay said Kejriwal seemed to have taken inspiration from his Congress mentors and “adopted the concept of family politics”

“When the AAP came to power, Kejriwal had strongly protested against the appointment of Barkha Singh to the Delhi CW. He had said that the DCW chief should be non-partisan. What has happened to that morality now?” he said.

 “It is highly shocking that Kejriwal who spoke a lot of bringing Lokpal and shunting corrupt out of political arena, today shares limelight with Nitish Kumar who is a partner of tainted politician Lalu Yadav,” he said.

“Kejriwal should clarify his stand on family connections in politics and Lalu Yadav who has been convicted for corruption by Supreme Court and debarred from contesting elections,” he said.

AAP reacts
Late in the evening, the Chief Minister tweeted that he would file a defamation suit against those trying to spread rumours that Maliwal was related to him.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh maintained that she was not an AAP member.

“Swati Maliwal is not a member of AAP. She has been made DCW chief based on her capabilities. BJP doesn’t know about Swati Maliwal’s social contribution. She worked with Parivartan and participated in India Against Corruption movement,” he said.

Maliwal said she has not received any official communication from the Delhi government.
“Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had called on me to discuss issues related to women’s cause. But I haven’t received any formal communication,” she told Deccan Herald.  
On opposition parties slamming the AAP for alleged “favouritism”, Maliwal said any comment from her at this stage would be “premature.”

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(Published 16 July 2015, 04:18 IST)

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