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Delhi

AAP blames EC as BJP, Cong seek Kejriwal's resignation

Election Commission ‘should not be the letter box of the PMO’, alleges AAP

New Delhi: Hours after the Election Commission (EC) of India recommended disqualification of 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, the ruling party said that the EC had never 'touched this low.' The AAP alleged that the EC 'should not be the letter box of the PMO' while the Delhi BJP said it 'stands prepared for elections any moment' while regretting that the EC allowed 'undue' adjournments of hearings of AAP MLAs, which 'dearly' cost the people of Delhi. The opposition parties–BJP and Congress –demanded CM Arvind Kejriwal's resignation.
In its opinion sent to President Ram Nath Kovind in the morning, the Election Commission said the MLAs, by occupying the post of parliamentary secretaries between March 13, 2015 and September 8, 2016, held office of profit, and were liable to be disqualified as legislators, highly-placed sources said.
AAP's Ashutosh tweeted, "The EC should not be the letter box of the PMO. But that is the reality today." "A person like me who has covered EC as a reporter during (T N) Seshan days, today I can say EC has never touched so low ever," the scribe-turned politician added.
Leader of Opposition, Vijender Gupta said that disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs is a huge moral defeat for the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "It has put his leadership in peril. He must resign on ethical ground and seek fresh mandate." Gupta welcomed the decision of the Election Commission saying that "better late, than never". It deserves praise for its dogged pursual of the case despite several hurdles being put by AAP. He said that the Government must answer to public for its political impropriety as its action has led Delhi to the possibility of midterm election. BJP's city unit chief Manoj Tiwari said the EC allowed long adjournments to the 20 MLAs during the hearings of the issue which cost dearly to the people of Delhi. "We welcome the EC decision disqualifying 20 AAP MLAs. Arvind Kejriwal should take responsibility for moral defeat and resign," he said. Taking advantage of EC's long adjournments of hearings on the issue, these MLAs have not only 'looted and cheated' the people of Delhi but also denied development, Tiwari said.
The Delhi Congress also demanded Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's resignation, with its president Ajay Maken saying that Kejriwal has lost the right to be in power. "Kejriwal has no right to continue. Half of his cabinet ministers removed on corruption charges! 20 MLAs who were enjoying ministerial perks would be disqualified! (sic)," Maken tweeted.
"Where is Lokpal? The MLAs and Ministers
enjoying perks of power and foreign travel-Where is political probity (sic)?," the tweet further read.
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