AAP to challenge disqualification of its 20 MLAs

The AAP on Sunday announced it will challenge the  "illegal and illogical" order disqualifying its 20 MLAs and accused the "biased" Election Commission of behaving like "hand-maiden" of the Narendra Modi government.

"God has given 67 seats with a purpose. On every single step, God is with AAP. Otherwise what was our strength. Should not leave the path of honesty," party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted.

"A first reading of the Narendra Modi government appointed Election Commission's biased opinion and subsequent notification issued by the BJP's central government to hastily disqualify 20 elected Delhi MLAs shows Constitutional authorities today are behaving like hand-maidens of the central government," AAP chief spokesperson and Delhi MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj said.

He said the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners are expected to behave in an independent and impartial manner.

"Their unjustified and hasty opinions to please their political bosses will not stand legal scrutiny," he said adding, "the EC is a Constitutional institution of continuity and not a retired members club of a group of political appointees."

He said the AAP will not be cowed down by such "intimidatory tactics" of the Modi government. "The party has complete faith in the judiciary and will challenge this biased, illegal and illogical order of the Modi government in courts of law. For the AAP, it is not a matter confined to its 20 MLAs, the fight is for safeguarding the democracy and protecting Constitutional institutions from decimation," he said.

Senior AAP leader Ashutosh targeted President Ram Nath Kovind for signing the order, saying he should "contemplate if he has enhanced his stature in history as the President of the Republic of India by signing to disqualify AAP MLAs?"

Another AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also said there were instances where the President had refused to entertain "unconstitutional" steps earlier but "then it was not the rule of Modi".