New Delhi: A Delhi High Court judge will
hear later in the day the plea of eight AAP MLAs against their
disqualification for holding office of profit.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru said he will hear the pleas of the
MLAs, challenging the Centre's notification which had
disqualified 20 legislators, after lunch.
Observing the crowd in his courtroom before taking up the
matter, the judge said he was unable to conduct hearing of
other matters.
The court was jam-packed with the eight AAP MLAs and
their supporters and some senior members of the party besides
scribes and counsel for the legislators.
On January 19, the poll panel had made the recommendation
for the disqualification of the 20 legislators, which was
given assent by the President.
On January 20, the Ministry of Law and Justice issued a
notification that the President held that the 20 MLAs stand
disqualified under Section 15(1)(a) of the Government of
National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act.
The EC had made the recommendation while deciding a plea
by advocate Prashant Patel, who had sought disqualification of
21 AAP MLAs for holding the office of parliamentary
secretaries, which he had said amounted to office of profit.
The proceedings against Jarnail Singh were dropped after
he resigned as the Rajouri Garden MLA to contest the Punjab
Assembly polls.
PTI
