Assam opposition leader Devbrat Saikia wrote to Chief Justice of India Sanjeev Khanna on Saturday, alleging that the appointment of Assam Advocate General Devjit Saikia as Acting Secretary of India’s apex cricket body was a “gross breach of privilege by a constitutional office holder”.
Devjit Saikia, Assam’s AG since May 2021, has been joint secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) since October 2022 and was appointed its interim secretary earlier this month after former secretary Jai Shah took over. President ICC. He also became a member of the Board of Directors of the ICC, representing India.
In his letter to the CJI, Congress leader Devbrata Saikia alleged that Devjit’s appointment as BCCI interim secretary qualified him to take an “office of profit” in violation of the prerogatives of the Assam Assembly. He argued that, because the AG is a member of the Assembly, he “has the right to speak and otherwise participate in the work of the Assembly”.
“The appointment of Mr. Devjit Lone Saikia as a member of the Board of Directors of the ICC is also questionable as he should not hold any position of employment with any Member State as per the ICC Articles and Memorandum of Association,” the letter, copies of which were Governor of Assam, Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and President of Bar Council of India were marked.
It further read: “He is in violation of ICC Rules by being the Advocate General of Assam. Also, a constitutional post holder of India cannot take a fiduciary position in an international organization, if that organization has India’s foreign adversaries like Pakistan, Bangladesh etc. as members. It places the interests of India and (the State of Assam) in a position of (a) important compromise.
On his part, Devjit Saikia claims that the LOP “does not have correct information on the facts and law regarding the Office of Profit”.
“If you look at the constitution of ICC and BCCI, it is clear that all these are honorary posts, not posts of profit. Secondly, the post of AG is not subject to disqualification on the ground of office of profit in any case. Either he is not well informed and has been misled by his lawyers,” he said The Indian Express.
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