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AAP rebuts CEC claim on disqualification of MLAs

Calling Election Commission (EC) a ‘khap panchayat’, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday rebutted the newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner…

AAP rebuts CEC claim on disqualification of MLAs

Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat

Calling Election Commission (EC) a ‘khap panchayat’, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday rebutted the newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat’s claim that 20 legislators were disqualified for holding office-of-profit, “as they did not seek hearings on the issue”.

Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader Raghav Chadha termed Rawat’s claim “false”. Chadha said that AAP legislators in fact wrote twice to the EC for hearing but did not receive any communication from the latter.

On Tuesday, Rawat in a newspaper interview had said that AAP did not request the EC to hold hearings though it was served notices on 28 September and 2 November last year. That eventually led to their disqualification.

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“The CEC is lying. As per the last communication from the EC, we were still waiting for the next date of hearing, but without consulting the MLAs the EC unilaterally took the decision,” Raghav alleged, adding that the EC was working like a khap panchayat and giving verdict without hearing the other side.

Raghav said the Rawat had earlier recused himself from the case citing his “proximity” to BJP leadership.

“We had welcomed his recusal then but now it turns out that Rawat also signed on the EC’s recommendation to the President. It was first time in the history of India that a judge who had recused himself from a case had sneaked back after six months,” Raghav remarked.

Raghav claimed that the recommendation to the President was also signed by another Election Commissioner Sunil Arora who was not involved in the proceedings of the case. “How is it that he signed on the recommendation,” asked Chadha.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP-elect Sanjay Singh, who was also present at the press conference, said in states like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Bengal, Assam and Mizoram where the High Court had cancelled the appointments of parliamentary secretaries, the MLAs were not disqualified.

“Former CEC AK Joti,” Singh alleged, “took this decision at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

Meanwhile, Chadha maintained AAP had full faith in judiciary and would approach the Delhi High Court. “We expect relief from the Court,” he added.

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