India, May 1 -- Days after a controversial decision by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to appoint mayor Raj Rani Malhotra's husband, Tilak Raj Malhotra, as her advisor, the civic body has withdrawn the appointment, triggering accusations of nepotism. The reversal came following public backlash, media scrutiny and political opposition, particularly from the Congress. MCG officials said they had withdrawn the decision to appoint Malhotra's husband, Tilak Raj Malhotra, as her advisor - just nine days after issuing the appointment order. Senior Congress leader Pankaj Dawar said the episode reflected the BJP's "growing tendency to promote dynastic politics." He alleged that appointing the mayor's husband to a civic advisory role, without any formal process, was a blatant attempt to bypass merit within the civic body. "The BJP initially gave the mayor's chair to someone with no administrative experience, and then tried to cover it up by naming her husband as advisor. This wasn't public service - it was family-run governance," he said. Dawar credited public outcry and Congress's sustained opposition for the reversal of the order, calling it a "victory for public accountability." Congress's Pataudi assembly candidate, Pearl Choudhary, called the appointment a "betrayal of constitutional values" and stated, "This was not just a case of nepotism. It mocked women's political representation and institutional transparency. Gurugram deserves governance rooted in competence, not convenience," she said. Choudhary had formally raised the issue on April 22, and said the rollback reaffirmed that "citizen resistance and media vigilance can deliver results." However, Tilak Raj Malhotra, when contacted for a response, declined to respond to the controversy. "I do not wish to comment on this at all," he told Hindustan Times. MCG officials, familiar with the matter, confirmed that the appointment lacked formal legal vetting and was flagged by internal advisors as inconsistent with administrative norms of the civic agency. The cancellation order was issued on April 29 by MCG commissioner Ashok Kumar Garg, following consultations with the Haryana government. Officials said the decision was taken to uphold procedural integrity and avoid any further reputational damage....