As mayor's husband named adviser, it's Cong taking aim at ‘parivarvaad'
Raj Rani Malhotra
's husband Tilakraj Malhotra as an adviser in her office is raising eyebrows and drawing political heat. Congress on Tuesday said it will submit a formal memorandum to the deputy commissioner next week to challenge the legality and propriety of the appointment of Tilakraj, who happens to be a former BJP district president.
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Tilakraj was named as an adviser to the mayor in a letter issued on April 21 by MCG commissioner Ashok Garg. The letter said that his position was "honorary", with no financial benefits.
Senior Congress functionary Pankaj Dawar said the appointment was a blatant case of "nepotism" and "parivarvaad" – a term often used by the BJP leadership to criticise the Gandhi family for what they call dynastic politics. "There is no provision that allows a mayor to appoint a family member, particularly a spouse, to an advisory role — honorary or otherwise.
This move violates the principles of fair governance and may not stand scrutiny under the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act," Dawar said on Tuesday.
The controversy comes at a time when the mayor's election is under scrutiny over allegations that she and her Congress rival submitted fake caste certificates. MCG's mayoral position was reserved for a woman candidate from the backward class (A) category in civic polls held this March.
Punjab and Haryana high court earlier this month issued a notice to the mayor over a petition challenging her election. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for May 22.
Raj Rani and Tilakraj refused to comment on the controversy on Tuesday, but the mayor told TOI that her husband has not yet assumed responsibilities as adviser.
Dawar alleged that such an appointment had broader implications on gender representation in politics.
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"It is detrimental to the idea of women's empowerment. Today, the mayor has appointed her husband as an adviser. Tomorrow, women councillors might follow suit. This will erode the accountability of elected representatives," he said.
He said BJP claimed to be opposed to dynastic politics, but this appointment "exposes" their "true nature".
"The mayor, who was imposed on Gurgaon as a dummy candidate with no administrative experience and no agenda during the campaign, has now handed over decision-making responsibilities to her husband.
This is not governance, it is betrayal," Dawar said.
Raj Rani (66) trounced her Congress rival Seema Pahuja by a margin of 1.8 lakh votes to become the city's mayor.
A BJP source said "discontent" over Tilakraj's appointment was not limited to the opposition. "A faction within the party is unhappy with the development, They believe it was an avoidable misstep that has handed an unnecessary talking point to the opposition," the source said.
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