Disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs was AK Joti’s gift to Modi: Gopal Rai

AAP’s Gopal Rai also said the party will launch a campaign against BJP’s decisions to allow FDI in retail and the sealing drive in the city.

The Election Commission’s (EC’s) decision to disqualify 20 AAP MLAs for holding offices of profit, was its chief AK Joti’s parting gift to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior AAP leader Gopal Rai said in New Delhi on Saturday.

AAP leader Gopal Rai addresses a press conference at the party office in New Delhi. (PTI FILE)

Addressing media, Rai also said that the party will launch a campaign against BJP’s decisions to allow FDI in retail and the sealing drive in the city.

On Friday, the EC recommended to President Ram Nath Kovind to disqualify 20 AAP MLAs for holding offices of profit as Parliamentary Secretaries, triggering calls for resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The President is bound to act in accordance with the poll panel’s recommendation.

On Saturday, Rai said that Joti was Principal Secretary in Gujarat when Modi was the state’s Chief Minister and he was Modi’s closest officer.

“The disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs was his gift to Modi. What is the reason for this gift? Why it has been given? Aam Aadmi Party and the country want to know this,” the senior leader said.

“Everyone in the country has only one question on their mind: What was the compulsion for him to take the decision with only two days to retire,” Rai asked.

The leader also rubbished claims that the AAP MLAs were given multiple chances to appear before the EC and said that lies were being spread in the media.

Rai said that all notices given by the EC were replied by AAP’s lawyers and added that even during the the British rule, people were heard before giving punishments.

Holding out a purported order from the EC, Rai said that the EC had not given a date of hearing for the AAP MLAs, after March 13, 2017.

The EC gave its opinion to the President on a complaint by advocate Prashant Patel, a member of the Hindu Legal Cell, in June 2015, who petitioned then President Pranab Mukherjee alleging illegality in the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries.

The decision led to calls by the Congress and BJP -- who have been demanding the disqualification -- for Kejriwal’s resignation.

Later on Friday, the Delhi High Court refused to grant interim relief to AAP MLAs against the Election Commission’s recommendation.