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In a massive setback to the Aam Aadmi Party, the Election Commission has recommended to disqualify 20 AAP Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) for holding Âoffice of profit as Parliament Secretaries. The EC has sent the recommendation to the President of India, Ramnath Kovind.
The controversy over the “office of profit” stirred in 2015 after a 30-year old lawyer Prashant Patel Umrao filed an application to the President’s office, questioning the appointment of AAP MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries. The then President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee asked the Election Commission to look into the matter.
The recommendation, if accepted by the President, will cut down the AAP strength from existing 67 seats to 47 seats in the Delhi State Assembly.
Sanjay Singh of AAP attacked the BJP and EC as he said to a TV interview, ÂThe Election Commission is working like an agent of the Modi government. There is no such profits entertained by any members of the Aam Aadmi Party.Â
ÂThis must be the first ever recommendation in EC history where a recommendation has been sent without even hearing the main matter on merits. No hearing took place in the EC on the point of office of profit,” AAP spokesperson Nagendra Sharma tweeted.
In March 2015, the AAP government passed an amendment in the name of ÂRemoval of Disqualification Act, 1997Â, to exempt the posts of Parliamentary Secretary from the definition of office of profit with retrospective effect. AAP had argued that there is no monetary benefit attached to the posts. But the then President refused But then President Pranab Mukherjee refused to give assent, following which the appointments were set aside by the Delhi High Court in September 2016, declaring them illegal since the order had been passed “without concurrence/approval of the Lt GovernorÂ.
Reacting on the matter, opposition parties Congress and BJP have demanded immediate resignation of Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Minister of Delhi.
BJP has criticised that ÂAAP’ came driving on the plank of ÂIndia Against CorruptionÂ, now they are ÂI am CorruptionÂ.
The List of Disqualified MLAs (Source: The Economic Times)
1. Praveen Kumar was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Education Minister
2. Sharad Kumar was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Revenue Minister
3. Adarsh Shastri was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Information and Technology Minister
4. Madan Lal was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Vigilance Minister
5. Shiv Charan Goel appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Finance Minister
6. Sanjeev Jha was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Transport Minister
7. Sarita Singh was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Employment Minister
8. Naresh Yadav was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Labour Minister
9. Rajesh Gupta was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Health Minister
10. Rajesh Rishi was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Health Minister
11. Anil Kumar Bajpai was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Health Minister
12. Som Dutt was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Industries Minister
13. Avtar Singh Kalka as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Gurudwara elections
14. Vijender Garg Vijay was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of PWD
15. Jarnail Singh (Rajauri Garden) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Power
16. Kailash Gahlot was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Law
17. Alka Lamba was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Tourism
18. Manoj Kumar was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Food and Civil Supplies
19. Nitin Tyagi was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Women and Child and Social Welfare
20. Sukhvir Singh was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Languages and Welfare of SC/ST/OBC respectively
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