The Election Commission has reportedly called 21 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs for hearing amidst controversy surrounding their appointments as parliamentary secretaries.
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“The 21 MLAs were appointed as parliamentary secretaries with perks to keep the flock together as Kejriwal feared that they would break away from the AAP like Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan”, he alleged. Beat me if you wish, do whatever you want to me, but do not harass the people of Delhi. The Kejriwal government had passed the Bill, seeking exemption for the post of parliamentary secretary from the dual office of profit law.
The petition argues that the Chief Minister has “no power, jurisdiction or authority” to administer oath of office to the Parliamentary Secretaries. “You (Kejriwal) have certain political ambitions, rightly so under a democratic system, but for god’s sake don’t demean the credibility of the President of India because in the end you are demeaning the democracy of this country”, Patra told reporters at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
On Wednesday, Vijender Gupta had announced his decision to approach the Delhi Lokayukta to challenge Mr. Kejriwal’s “constitutionally invalid” decision regarding the appointment of 21 MLAs as parliamentary secretaries. So, it is like if the BJP appoints a Parliamentary Secretary then it is legal and if we want to appoint the same then it illegal and unconstitutional. Maken was parliamentary secretary to Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit between 1999 and 2001.
In an audio statement, he also charged that the home ministry, and not President Pranab Mukherjee, was behind the move against the 21 legislators on the ground that they also held the post of Parliamentary Secretaries.
“Delhi’s parliamentary secretaries can only use the official transport for official goal if required”, he added. “The appointment of 21 Parliament Secretaries is illegal as the prescribed limit for such an appointment in Delhi is only one”, she said.
Thereafter, the state government retrospectively sought an amendment to the Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1997.
The Delhi CM also tweeted, “Modi is only scared of AAP”. He pointed out how Sonia Gandhi had to resign as an MP because of office of profit issue even though there is no monetary benefit involved.
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Countering the claims of Mr Kejriwal, Mr Maken, waving a court document, said,”here is the portion of order by apex court, that makes it clear that regardless of perks or not, it is an office of profit”.
