CHANDIGARH: Despite the written go-ahead to Haryana chief secretary Vijai Vardhan and the state’s advocate general’s office not to issue an appointment letter to shooter Vishwajeet Singh for the state civil services and to challenge the decision of a single bench of Punjab and Haryana high court clearing his appointment, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar was forced to overturn his own decision in leass than a fortnight.
The record, accessed by TOI, has revealed that Khattar had on February 9 approved the “categorical” advice given by the AG Haryana to challenge the judgment dated January 29, 2021, through which a single bench of HC had directed Haryana to appoint Vishwajeet as an HCS (executive branch) officer. In his advice, dated February 7, the AG had “beyond doubt” found it a fit case to file an appeal.
Subsequently, on February 11, Khattar again clarified on the file by endorsing the views of the chief secretary that “the state should not issue an appointment letter to Vishwajeet till the outcome of the appeal against the order as advised by the AG.”
Despite agreeing with the state’s top law officer and the chief secretary to file an appeal against the HC order and not to issue an appointment letter to Vishwajeet, the Haryana CM suddenly on March1 informed the chief secretary’s office to implement the HC order.
‘CM’s change of heart due to personal interest of JJP leader’
The CM has desired that order dated January 29, 2021, of high court may be implemented,” wrote DS Dhesi, chief principal secretary to CM, while conveying the decision. However, the Haryana chief secretary again sought some clarification from Khattar “whether the appointment of Vishwajeet should be subject to the filing of the appeal or whether the appeal is not to be filed at all.”Again, Khattar in his order dated March 7, made it clear that the order of the HC single bench should be implemented. In his decision to Vardhan, Khattar “desired that appeal in the case not to be filed at all.”
Sources said that this “change of heart” happened because of “personal interest” by a top leader of the JJP in Vishwajeet’s appointment. They added that the JJP leader was not only “assertive” while persuading the CM on the issue but also wanted Vishwajeet to be appointed before no-trust motion against the government was to be debated in the assembly.
Finally, Vishwajeet was issued an appointment letter on March 10, just two days before the budget session of the state assembly started.