AAP MLAs want to cross examine Delhi govt officials to prove they did not hold office of profit

The 20 AAP MLAs, who were facing allegation of holding office of profit, made a plea before the Election Commission Wednesday to cross examine Delhi government officials.

The petitioner, who had moved the EC seeking disqualification of these Delhi legislators for allegedly holding office of profit, opposed their plea, maintaining that the documents filed by the Delhi government officials were in the form of affidavit and there was no need to cross-examine them.

The poll panel reserved its order on the issue, petitioner Prashant Patel said after the hearing.

The EC is hearing afresh the case related to 20 AAP MLAs allegedly holding office of profit by being appointed parliamentary secretaries.

Earlier, their plea to cross examine Patel was rejected by the EC. They had then moved the Delhi High Court challenging the decision. The HC had said that while Patel cannot be cross examined, the MLAs were free to move the EC afresh to cross examine officials.

The AAP lawmakers have said it was important that the officials were cross-examined to ascertain if they had derived any profit as parliamentary secretaries.

The EC had, on January 19, recommended the disqualification of the 20 AAP MLAs. President Ram Nath Kovind had accepted the poll panel's opinion the next day.

But the EC's move was quashed by the Delhi High Court, terming it "bad in law".