Office of profit: 20 Delhi AAP MLAs disqualified

New Delhi, January 21

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday accepted the Election Commission’s recommendation to disqualify 20 MLAs of Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party for holding offices of profit.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

A notification issued by the Law Ministry quoted the president as saying that in the light of the opinion expressed by the Election Commission (EC), the 20 members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly have been disqualified.

The AAP MLAs were appointed parliamentary secretaries and their appointment was described as them holding offices of profit by a petitioner.

In a blow to the AAP, the EC had on Friday asked the President to disqualify its 20 MLAs.

“...Having considered the matter in the light of the opinion expressed by the Election Commission, I, Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, in exercise of the powers...do here hold that the aforesaid 20 members of the Delhi legislative Assembly stand disqualified from being members of the said Assembly,” the notification said.

AAP has reacted to the development by calling it "unconstitutional".

"President's order disqualifying 20 AAP MLAs is unconstitutional. It is dangerous for the democracy," AAP leader Ashutosh said.

All the 20 AAP MLAs had moved the Delhi High Court challenging the EC’s recommendation but Justice Rekha Palli had refused to pass any interim order.

The disqualification, however, will not jeopardise the Arvind Kejriwal government as AAP has a massive majority in the 70-member Delhi Assembly. PTI