Disqualified legislators file fresh petition in HC

Ananya Panda & agencies

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 22

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today filed a fresh petition in the Delhi High Court, challenging the disqualification of its 20 party MLAs. With the President giving his approval to the Election Commission’s recommendation for disqualifying the MLAs, the party withdrew its plea filed in the High Court on Friday.

“The party has already filed a fresh plea against the EC’s disqualification decision and it is going to be mentioned tomorrow,” Delhi government official Nagendar Sharma told The Tribune.

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Meanwhile, Delhi’s Deputy CM Manish Sisodia today wrote an open letter to build public opinion against the disqualification of the MLAs on the charge of holding office of profit. In a tweet, he attacked the Modi government for “impeding” the functioning of the AAP-led Delhi Government.

He said the BJP government at the Centre was afraid of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s “rising popularity” across the country and, hence, the disqualification move. “Over the last three years, your (AAP) government did so many works in Delhi.... Kejriwal ji is becoming popular among people across the country. So they don’t want to let his government work,” Sisodia alleged in the letter.

He said by disqualifying 20 MLAs the Centre had thrust byelections on Delhi and put a stop to all development works, thereby wasting public money.

“With this, the model code of conduct will come into force and development for the next two years will stop,  as soon the Lok Sabha elections will follow,” he wrote.

Shiv Sena backs Kejriwal

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Monday raised questions over “the haste” with which 20 legislators of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were disqualified. “This is unprecedented as so many elected legislators have been disqualified in a wholesale manner. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is facing a crisis, and that is because of the public campaign against corruption and injustice,” the Shiv Sena said in an edit in ‘Saamana’ and ‘Dopahar Ka Saamana’. It said there were similar complaints against legislators during the tenure of former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit, and even now in different states, but their positions had remained intact. PTI