Path of truth full of obstacles, but in the end it prevails: CM

NEW DELHI: Hours after President Ram Nath Kovind approved the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs recommended by the Election Commission, Delhi Chief Minister and the party supremo Arvind Kejriwal asserted that in the end truth will prevail and the party will continue its battle.

"Many obstacles come into your way when you walk on the path of truth and honesty. The path of the truth is full of obstacles but visible and invisible powers of the universe come out to help you when you walk on it. And in the end, the truth prevails," he said.

The CM also said in a tweet that, " I have always said that it was God's grace. He also knew that after three years these people would declare 20 of our MLAs disqualified. That's why he gave us 67 seats out of 70 in the Delhi Assembly polls." "They (BJP-led Centre) have tremendously victimised us by imposing fake cases on our MLAs. They conducted CBI raids on me and didn't get anything and today they declared 20 of our MLAs disqualified," he added.

Meanwhile, the AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said that Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners are expected to behave in an independent and impartial manner and not as political stooges of their masters who appoint them.

"Their unjustified and hasty opinions to please their political bosses will not stand legal scrutiny," he said. He added that it is beyond any reasonable understanding and justification as to how the immediate successors of Dr Zaidi decided to overturn this written order and chose not to provide any hearing to the 20 MLAs after March 2017.

"The EC is a Constitutional institution of continuity and not a retired members club of a group of political appointees. Further, the EC has failed to answer the basic test laid down in numerous judgments by the Supreme Court on the issue of office of profit," said Bharadwaj. He wondered whether the Commission in its opinion has been able to spell out what pecuniary gain these 20 MLAs got by becoming parliamentary secretaries.

The opposition parties welcomed President's decision. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari welcomed the decision of disqualifying the 20 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs accused of accepting Office of Profit by the President of India and has said that with his speedy decision the President has made a major contribution towards protecting democratic values.