The Delhi government Bill to exclude the post of Parliamentary Secretary from the office of profit has been refused assent by the President, raising questions over the fate of 21 AAP MLAs, who have been appointed to the posts.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has defended himself by blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for withholding the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's bill exempting 21 parliamentary secretaries from their disqualification as MLAs because of the illegality of holding two offices of profit at once.
Kejriwal, said the Prime Minister follows the agenda of 'not working, neither allowing anyone to work'.
"None of the MLAs took a single penny, vehicle or bungalow. Every MLA was working for free but Modiji says: Everyone stay at home, no one will work," Kejriwal said in a tweet.
"I had deputed one MLA each for electricity, water, hospital and school. but Modi ji says neither I will work, nor allow anyone to", he added.
"One MLA was spending his own petrol to visit hospitals. What wrong was he doing? Modi ji has made him sit in the house," he said.
In a jolt to AAP government, President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday refused to give assent to a legislation that protects 21 party MLAs.
Petitions have been filed with the President seeking disqualification of these MLAs on the ground that they occupied office of profit violating constitutional provisions.
Acting as a quasi judicial body, the Election Commission to whom the President referred the issue, had sought replies of the MLAs.
The Delhi Government had sought an amendment to the Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1997.
Through the Bill, the AAP government wanted "retrospective" exemption for the parliamentary secretaries from disqualification provisions.
The Bill was forwarded by Lt Governor Najeeb Jung to the Centre, which in turn was sent to the President with its comments.
After examining the issue, the President has not given his assent to the Bill, official sources said today.
On March 13, 2015, Kejriwal had passed an order appointing the 21 party MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries.
(with PTI inputs)
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