Served with Election Commission notices for allegedly occupying offices of profit, 19 Delhi MLAs and an MP on Wednesday submitted their replies before the poll body contending that the posts held by them did not fall under the definition of profitable posts.
"These are not offices of profit," the MLAs' lawyer Subhash Gulati told reporters after filing the replies on behalf of the legislators.
Gulati alleged that the petition filed before the EC by BJP MLA Vijay Jolly was a "political gimmick", and had "no substance".
Out of the 19 cases, four are sub-judice with the matter pending with the Delhi High Court.
Citing the example of the post of District Development Corporation (DDC) Chairperson, a Congress MLA, who is one of the legislators who filed their replies said, "The DDC chairpersons cannot come under the purview of offices of profit as they do not get any pension, salary and other monetory benefits from the post."
He also said that the MLAs told the Commission the DDCs were purely advisory in nature.
Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, who is the lone Member of Parliament from Delhi embroiled in the controversy also filed his reply before the commission.
{{/usCountry}}Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, who is the lone Member of Parliament from Delhi embroiled in the controversy also filed his reply before the commission.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Jolly complained that the Congress MLAs, going against the set procedure had not sent him a copy of their replies.
"The EC has told me it would give me copies of the reply by tomorrow," he said.