DELHI
The request came during a hearing about their disqualification from office
After being reinstated by the Delhi High Court, the 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs sought Election Commission’s (EC) permission to cross-examine Delhi government and State Assembly officials to prove that their appointment as parliamentary secretaries did not come under the ambit of office-of-profit. The request came during a hearing about their disqualification from office.
The EC resumed the hearing in the case on Thursday after the Delhi High Court quashed the disqualification order terming it as “vitiated” and “bad in law” and directed the Commission to approach the issue afresh by giving the MLAs an opportunity to put up their defence.
In an application filed to the Commission, the MLAs said they would want 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 derived any “profit” from their work, or used official cars and office space in conduct of their duties.