In the wake of the Election Commission’s (EC) recommendation for disqualification of 20 AAP MlAs on ‘Office of Profit’ issue, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has lost the right to be in power.
Maken said that the 20 AAP MlAs deserved to be disqualified because being Parliamentary Secretaries, they were getting facilities equivalent to Ministers.
“The facility includes office vehicle, staff and office space besides others which is a clear-cut case of ‘office of profit’,” he said.
“Kejriwal has no right to continue. Half of his Cabinet Ministers removed on corruption charges! 20 MlAs who were enjoying ministerial perks would be disqualified! (sic),” the Congress leader tweeted.
“Where is lokpalIJ The MlAs and Ministers enjoying perks of power and foreign travel-Where is political probity (sic)IJ,” he further tweeted.
“The EC is learnt to have recommended to the President to disqualify 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MlAs for allegedly holding offices of profit. Ironically, Kejriwal has not resigned from the post of the CM on moral grounds despite corruption charges,” Maken said.
He further said that the AAP MlAs had given affidavit before the Assembly elections, mentioning not to take any facilities and will work as Aam Aadmi but after formation of the Government in Delhi, their salaries rose to nearly Rs 3 lakh per month with a 400 per cent increase within one year.
Maken said that the Delhi Congress had submitted a petition to the Chief Election Commission in June, 2016 seeking disqualification of 21 AAP MlAs on the office of profit issue whereas one MlA Jarnail Singh already resigned from the membership of the Delhi Assembly. “The Chief Election Commission gave enough time to these MlAs to explain their position on the issue and hearing on the matter went on for nearly two years,” he said.
In its opinion sent to President Ram Nath Kovind, the poll panel has said that by being Parliamentary Secretaries, these MlAs held offices of profit and thus, were liable to be disqualified from the Delhi Assembly, sources said.