The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has written to President Pranab Mukherjee demanding the disqualification of 11 AAP MLAs. The party has alleged that the MLAs occupy offices of profit even as the Delhi government maintained that the said posts were exempt.
The party’s Delhi chief, Manoj Tiwari, said on Thursday the MLAs in question had been appointed as co-chairpersons of the District Disaster Management Committees in April 2015.
‘Abide by Constitution’
These appointments, the party alleged, were in contravention of Sections 14, 25, 2(h) of the Disaster Management Act of the Delhi government, under which only municipal councillors are eligible for the posts. “We have written to the President as the law is very clear. We are also aware that Arvind Kejriwal will not pay heed to our demands, but he will have to abide by the Constitution,” said Mr. Tiwari.
As many as six AAP MLAs listed by Mr. Tiwari also figure among the 21 MLAs who were appointed as Parliamentary Secretaries. Under the concept of office of profit, lawmakers at the Central and State levels are restricted from accepting government positions, except those declared exempt.
However, a senior Delhi government official said former L-G Najeeb Jung, through a notification dated January 19, 2015, had made it clear that both councillors and MLAs could be appointed as co-chairpersons.
BJP leader Shazia Ilmi, meanwhile, said, “The word ‘ aam ’ will have to be reclaimed from a party that has all sorts of corrupt elements. They attack every constitutional body. It seems AAP has a persecution complex.”
More conveners named
Mr. Tiwari also announced names of conveners of committees formed for works related to the municipal elections. These include senior leader Professor Vijay Kumar Malhotra, who will head the manifesto committee that will also include MP Pravesh Verma. Among the other names were former State unit chief Satish Upadhyay for the meeting with RWA and NGO committee and Praveen Shankar Kapoor for the jansabha meeting and roadshow committee.
