'Conspiracy', says AAP as EC seeks disqualification of MLAs

New Delhi  :  The AAP on Friday alleged a political conspiracy behind the EC's recommendation for the disqualification of its 20 MLAs for allegedly holding office of profit.

"This recommendation has been made by the Election Commission without hearing the arguments of MLAs on the allegation of office of profit," party's chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj told media persons here.

He said Chief Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Joti, a retired 1975-batch IAS officer -- who was Gujarat Chief Secretary when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister -- is "paying back" to the Prime Minister now.

"He (Joti) is going to retire on January 23 once he turns 65, and thus, he is swiftly doing all this before retiring," alleged Bhardwaj. 

"After that, neither the Prime Minister nor anybody else can make him the CEC."

Bhardwaj said that in the case of the allegation of holding office of profit, there were no proceedings, magisterial inquiries or inspections.

He said hearing was done in the case of the accusation that AAP legislators were unconstitutionally appointed as Parliamentary Secretaries to assist various Ministers of the Delhi government and not in the case of holding 'office of profit'.

"Someone complained against these MLAs saying they are holding office of profit. The MLAs haven't been given the chance to present their case before the commission."

"If there is a case of office of profit, the MLAs must have been profited. Why don't they ask the reporters or the general public in their respective constituencies whether these MLAs own any government bungalows, have any government vehicles," he questioned.

"If any reporter or anybody else says that any of these legislators have had money transferred to their accounts by the government, I would agree there is a moral responsibility."

He said it was "shameful" that a constitutional body like the EC was being put on stake with this "biased" decision.

He said the party received the information about EC's recommendation from sources.

"Be it ED (Enforcement Directorate), CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) or the EC, we get the report through sources. There is no direct information," he said.