AAP MLAs’ hearing shifted to July 21
The Election Commission on Thursday postponed to July 21 the hearing of 21 AAP MLAs over a petition seeking their disqualification in an office of profit case after the BJP and the Congress expressed their wish to be become party to the case.
“The next hearing will be at 3 pm on July 21 as the parties want to exchange pleadings ( documents),” an EC functionary said. The Delhi government wanted to implead in the case as the EC had sought details from it on the nature of the job of parliamentary secretaries and the perks, if any.
The hearing on the petition filed by lawyer Prashant Patel was scheduled for Thursday. The petitioner had claimed the post of parliamentary secretary comes under the office of profit.
AAP claimed BJP and Congress were behind the petition and wanted disqualification of its MLAs because they want to “avenge” their defeat in Assembly polls last year.
“The proceedings over the office of profit petition began today. Congress was represented by former law minister Salman Khurshid and there was a lawyer from BJP as well. This vindicates our stand that the BJP and Congress are behind this petition. We hope that the Election Commission will use its good sense and give a verdict accordingly because there are parliamentary secretaries in other states as well,” Jarnail Singh, AAP’s Rajouri Garden MLA, said.
The EC had issued notices to the MLAs last month. In their response, the MLAs said there was no “pecuniary benefit” associated with the post and it comes without any remuneration or power.