HC notice to govt. on plea against appointment of N.R. Santosh

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday ordered issue of notice to the State government on a PIL questioning the legality of appointing political secretariats to the Chief Minister and challenging the appointment of N.R. Santosh as political secretary to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice S. Vishwajith Shetty passed the order on the petition filed by Umapathi S., a city-based advocate.

Pointing out that the appointment as political secretary to the Chief Minister was made in May this year, the petitioner said the government subsequently ordered extending the status of a Minister of State to Mr. Santosh, who is the grand nephew of Mr. Yediyurappa.

“Appointment of Mr. Santosh is tainted with arbitrariness, favouritism, and non-transparency since neither the government nor the Chief Minister can create such a post,” it was contended in the petition, while pointing out that there exists no law that provides for appointment of ‘political secretaries’ to the Chief Minister. that carries status of a Minister.

It has been contended in the petition that the exercise of the Chief Minister’s power to create the post of political secretary to accommodate his relatives and political followers of his party is unconstitutional and liable to be set aside.