Disqualify AAP MLAs: BJP to President

New Delhi: The Delhi BJP has written to President Pranab Mukherjee, demanding disqualification of 11 of Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, who have been wrongfully appointed as co-chairpersons of the District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC), invoking the office of profit provisions violation. In its complaint on March 17, the Delhi BJP requested Mr Mukherjee to forward the application to the Election Commission of India for a speedy, time bound disposal.

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari claimed that the appointment of 11 MLAs as co-chairpersons of DDMC was wrongfully done by violating the office of profit provisions. He also alleged that the Kejriwal government has all through used the government appointments, schemes and funds for political management and has even tried to curb political and news dissent through unlawful discretionary distribution of monetary benefits.

The BJP in its complaints to the President alleged that the 11 MLAs — Sanjiv Jha (Burari), Nitin Tyagi (Laxmi Nag-ar), Praveen Kumar (Jang-pura), Pawan Sharma (Adarsh Nagar), Sridutt Sharma (Ghonda), Rajesh Gupta (Wazirpur), Sarita Singh (Rohtash Nagar), Dinesh Mohania (Sangam Vihar), Amanatullah Khan (Okhla), Kailash Gehlot (Najafgarh), and Jarnail Singh (Tilak Nagar) — were appointed violating the rules.

“Under the guidance of a senior BJP leader and former MLA Sahab Singh Chauhan, an application has been filled by RTI activist Vivek Garg seeking disqualification of the 11 MLAs of the ruling AAP government who have been appointed as the co-chairpersons of DDMC vide the Delhi government gazette notification dated April 29, 2015. The contentions raised by the applicant are lawfully strong enough for the President of India to nullify their appointment and disqualify them as MLAs as the post of co-chairperson of DDMC is covered under the office of profit provisions,” added Mr Tiwari.

He claimed that the law in the matter is very clear and Delhi government cannot appoint MLAs as co-chairpersons of DDMCs and it is the municipal councillors who are lawfully eligible for this appointment.

“Acting with political bias, the Kejriwal government instead of appointing the councillors, appointed its own MLAs,” he said.