'Disqualified' AAP MLAs want to cross-examine Delhi govt, Assembly officials

The 20 AAP MLAs, whose plea against disqualification is being heard by the Election Commission (EC), today once again pressed their demand to cross-examine Delhi government and Assembly officials, so that it could be proved that the legislators were not holding offices of profit.

On the fourth day of the hearing, the lawmakers said it was important that the officials were cross-examined to ascertain if they had derived any profit as parliamentary secretaries.

The hearing will continue tomorrow and the complainant may get a chance to plead his case.

The EC had, on May 16, resumed the hearing in the case after the Delhi High Court set aside the disqualification of the AAP MLAs for allegedly holding offices of profit.

In an application filed before the EC, the MLAs had said they would like to cross-examine the secretary of the Delhi legislative assembly and officials of the law and accounts departments of the Delhi government to verify whether they had derived any "profit" from their work, used official cars and office space while carrying out their duties.

The officials had filed documents before the EC on the office-of-profit issue.

The MLAs also demanded that the complainant, Prashant Patel, be cross-examined.

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.