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Collusion between AAP, BJP led to delay in sacking of MLAs: Cong

Last Updated 21 January 2018, 15:42 IST

Congress on Sunday hit out at the AAP for playing the victim card claiming that its MLAs were not given a hearing by the Election Commission before their disqualification for holding Office of Profit.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken launched a counter-attack on the AAP and accused it of being in collusion with the BJP to ensure that the disqualification of its 20 legislators was done after the Rajya Sabha elections in late December.

"If decision would have come before December 22, these 20 MLAs would have been disqualified & could not have voted for the Rajya Sabha elections," Maken said claiming that the AAP was helped by the BJP and the Election Commission.

He contended that had the disqualification of AAP MLAs taken place before the Rajya Sabha elections, the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit would have disintegrated as there was massive dissent in the party over nominations to the three seats to the Upper House of Parliament.

The Congress also rejected AAP's claim that the EC had taken a unilateral decision to disqualify 20 of its MLAs. Maken said the EC had not taken the decision to disqualify AAP MLAs in a single day.

"We had given our petition to the EC way back in June 2016. The EC heard detailed arguments by the AAP MLAs on 11 days," Maken said claiming that it was the AAP that was keen to delay the proceedings at the Commission.

The AAP had termed the EC's decision as "arbitrary" and taken in haste just days ahead of the retirement of Chief Election Commissioner A K Joti - on Tuesday.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday sacked 20 AAP legislators in the Delhi Assembly after the Election Commission found that they were holding government offices in violation of laws barring them from doing so.

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(Published 21 January 2018, 14:04 IST)

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