Suranjit's ministership challenged

A Supreme Court lawyer has filed a writ petition with the High Court, challenging the legality of Suranjit Sengupta's appointment as a minister without portfolio.
Tuhin Malik, the lawyer, claimed that there is no such post under the constitution.
He filed the writ petition on September 26, seeking the HC's directive to stop the privileges that Suranjit has been enjoying as a minister.
If a minister submits a resignation letter to the prime minister, it is considered that the minister has already resigned, according to Article 58 of the constitution, said the lawyer in the petition.
The person has to take a fresh oath to be restored to the post, as per Article 148 of the constitution.
But Suranjit has not taken a fresh oath after his resignation on April 16, said the petitioner.
The cabinet secretary and the law secretary have been made respondents in the petition.
Hearing of the petition will be held today before the HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar, Tuhin Malik yesterday told The Daily Star.
On September 30, he added, the HC bench of Justice Hasan Foez Siddique and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain did not hear the petition though they were supposed to. They felt embarrassed about the hearing but did not say why.
On April 17 this year, the government appointed Suranjit as a minister without portfolio, just a day after he stepped down as the railways minister amid the railway-gate scandal.
A minister without portfolio holds charge of no ministry but enjoys all facilities of a minister, and can be offered a portfolio whenever the prime minister wants.