AAP Approaches Delhi HC Against Disqualification of 20 MLAs

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal (left) with deputy CM Manish Sisodia (right).

(Photo: PTI)

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has approached the Delhi High Court for quashing the President’s order for disqualification of its 20 MLAs for allegedly holding ‘offices of profit’, reported ANI.

The matter will be heard by the court on Wednesday, 24 January.

The move came after the AAP MLAs withdrew on Monday, 22 January, an earlier plea in the high court, which sought a stay on the Election Commission's (EC) recommendation to President Ram Nath Kovind to disqualify 20 MLAs for holding ‘office-of-profit’ as Parliamentary Secretaries in Delhi.

On Friday, 19 January, the EC made the recommendation, since approved by the President, for the disqualification.

On Sunday, 21 January, the Law and Justice Ministry issued a notification that the President has held that the 20 MLAs stand disqualified under Section 15 (1) (a) of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act.

The MLAs’ counsel said they wanted to withdraw the plea and will examine the EC orders. The court then ruled the “plea is dismissed as withdrawn”.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to point fingers at a similar situation in Chhattisgarh where a case involving 11 BJP MLAs being appointed as Parliamentary Secretaries is being heard by the court.

The Chhattisgarh Assembly, where the BJP currently has 49 MLAs, might be hung if the 11 MLAs face disqualification, reported News18.

The 20 AAP MLAs disqualified are Alka Lamba, Adarsh Shastri, Sanjeev Jha, Rajesh Gupta, Kailash Gahlot, Vijendra Garg, Praveen Kumar, Sharad Kumar, Madan Lal Khufiya, Shiv Charan Goyal, Sarita Singh, Naresh Yadav, Rajesh Rishi, Anil Kumar, Som Dutt, Avtar Singh, Sukhvir Singh Dala, Manoj Kumar, Nitin Tyagi and Jarnail Singh.

(With inputs from IANS, News18 and ANI)

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