Lokayukta appointment: CM Akhilesh Yadav sends same name to Gov again

This was two days after the Governor wrote a letter to Akhilesh Yadav, explaining why he returned the recommendation that the CM had sent on August 19.

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Sources said the government, has contended that the advice tendered by the CM will be binding on the Governor when it comes to the appointment of Lokayukta.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav late Saturday once again recommended the name of Justice (retd) Ravindra Singh to Governor Ram Naik for the post of Lokayukta. The government has sent his name for the fourth time in 20 days.

While the Governor has returned the name to the government thrice, the Allahabad High Court Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud has also “disagreed” with Justice Singh’s name being put forth for the post alleging “political affiliation”.

Sources said the government, armed with a Supreme Court ruling related to the appointment of Karnataka Lokayukta, has contended that the advice tendered by the CM will be binding on the Governor when it comes to the appointment of Lokayukta.

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Naik has asked the government to adopt the proper procedure — prepare a panel of names and discuss them in a joint meeting of the CM, chief justice of the high court and Leader of the Opposition — before recommending the same to him.

The latest recommendation to appoint Singh reached Raj Bhavan late Saturday. This was two days after the Governor wrote a letter to Akhilesh Yadav, explaining why he returned the recommendation that the CM had sent on August 19.

In his letter — dated August 20 — Naik had quoted another letter that Chief Justice Chandrachud had written to the CM on August 6. The Chief Justice had written: “There are media reports about an event on July 31, 2015 to anoint a person, who reported to have businesses in liquor and real estate and with a criminal record, as a religious head of a particular organisation. Justice Ravindra Singh appears on the dais in the photographs sitting next to Shivpal Singh Yadav, a member of your Cabinet.”