Office-of-profit case: AAP MLAs demand cross-examination of government officials

The 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, during a hearing on their disqualification, sought the Election Commission's 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 EC resumed the hearing in the case on Thursday after the Delhi High Court quashed their disqualification order terming it as "vitiated" and "bad in law" and directed the EC to approach the issue afresh by giving an opportunity to the MLAs to put up their defence.

In an application, the AAP MLAs said they would want to cross-examine 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, used official cars and office space during the conduct of their duties.

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

The MLAs also sought cross-examination of Prashant Patel, the complainant in the case.

Opposing the plea of the MLAs, Patel said, "The Delhi High Court had said the hearing should purely be on the issue of office-of-profit. It is not a civil court where cross examinations take place. The EC is also not in favour of cross-examination."

Already rapped by the high court for showing undue hurry, the commission said the arguments will continue on May 21.

In their plea to the high court, the MLAs had alleged that the commission had not given them a hearing since March last year. The commission, however, had said that two opportunities were given to file written submissions.

The commission had recommended the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs on January 19, which President Ram Nath Kovind had accepted the very next day.

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EC had recommended the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs on January 19, which President Ram Nath Kovind had accepted the next day