In a flare-up of confrontation between the BJP-ruled central government and the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi, the appointment of nine advisers and consultants to several AAP Ministers were scrapped on Tuesday in the wake of the Centre’s move raising objections to their posts.

According to an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) of the Delhi government on Tuesday, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had written in its letter dated 10 April to the GAD that these nine posts “on which the appointees are officiating are not in the list of posts approved for the Ministers and the Chief Minister”.

The GAD’s order said, quoting the MHA’s letter, that “no prior approval of the central government has been taken for creation of said posts on which these persons have been appointed on co-terminus basis”.

It also said the MHA’s 2015 notification had clarified that “services” under the Delhi government ~ which includes creation of services/posts, co-terminus or otherwise ~ is a subject reserved for central government as per the Constitution.

The services come under the Lieutenant Governor, the Centre’s representative in the national capital.”Therefore, creation of posts by Delhi Cabinet for accommodating these appointees is void ab-initio, being done by an agency not competent under the law to do so. Since creation of these posts and subsequent appointments on these posts are not valid, all previous orders regarding creation of these posts and appointments made against them are hereby cancelled,” the GAD’s order stated.

Among the nine advisers and consultants whose appointment were scrapped are Atishi Marlena (media adviser to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia), Amardeep Tiwari (media adviser to Law Minister), Arunodya Prakash (media adviser to Deputy CM), and Raghav Chadha (adviser to Finance Minister). The AAP government cried foul over the Centre’s move, with Sisodia alleging that it was a “conspiracy to derail education system in Delhi”.

Addressing a press conference, Sisodia charged that the move to scrap these appointments was aimed at “paralysing the Kejriwal government’s work since no BJP government has been able to deliver in education and health sector in the states ruled by them”.

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sisodia, who is also Education Minister, alleged that the PM wanted to “undermine Delhi’s education system”.

He said the “real target” of this order was his adviser Atishi Marlena who, he said, has been playing a key role in improving the education system in government schools. Sisodia said Marlena has been working with him on a salary of Re 1 per month for three years.