Prez dismisses plea to disqualify 27 AAP MLAs

President Ram Nath Kovind has dismissed a petition seeking the disqualification of 27 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members of the legislative assembly of Delhi.

The petition, filed by one Vibhor Anand on June 21, 2016 sought disqualification of Alka Lamba, Jarnail Singh, Rakhi Birla and Pankaj Pushkar and 23 other AAP MLAs from the membership of the Legislative Assembly of Delhi as they held “Offices of Profit” as chairpersons of the Rogi Kalyan Samitis (Patients Welfare Associations) in the hospitals run by the government of the National Capital Territory.

The President took into account the view of the Election Commission to conclude that the petition was not “maintainable”.

The EC opined that office of Chairperson in Rogi Kalyan Samitis of the hospitals, run by Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi fell “under the exempted category as per item 14 of the Schedule of the Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification) Act - 1997. The EC held the view that the MLAs could not be disqualified for holding Offirce of Profit.

“It was well known to all that the MLAs who had been entrusted with the responsibility of the Rogi Kalyan Samitis in the hospitals had nothing to do with Offices of Profit. But it was due to pressure from certain quarters that the case remained pending for two years at the EC,” AAP leader Gopal Rai said.