Office of Profit: Delhi HC gives big relief to AAP MLAs, Kejriwal; MLAs were not given a chance to put their point says Saurabh Bhardwaj

The Aam Aadmi party chief gets a big relief after the Delhi High Court set aside the EC recommendations to disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs in the connection to the Office of Profit when they were appointed parliamentary secretaries.

A bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar had announced the judgement after the legislators, Election Commission of India (EC) and other parties had concluded their arguments.

Prashant Patel, petitioner in the 20 AAP MLAs disqualification case says, the court has said that this case will be reopened. I had just raised a constitutional issue, there is no setback for me.

Delhi High Court said violation of oral hearing norms by EC and failure to communicate that OP Rawat after recusing had rejoined proceedings were the reasons to quash the Jan 19 order.

Saurabh Bhardwaj, AAP on relief to AAP MLAs says, MLAs were not given a chance to put their point, so now the court has given them a chance to do that. The EC will hear their plea again.

The high court has sent the case back to the Election Commission for the reconsideration. The Election Commission had recommended President Kovind to disqualify these 20 MLAs.  On January 21, President Ram Nath Kovind has approved the recommendation of the Chief Election Commission, to disqualify the 20 AAP MLAs, who were appointed as parliamentary secretaries by the Arvind Kejriwal-led government, after the Election Commission of India on January 19 had recommended for the same.

The AAP MLA’s had moved to the High Court challenging their disqualification after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the EC’s recommendation.

Also read: INX Media Case: Delhi High Court grants bail to Karti Chidambaram in corruption case