AAP in fightback mode, asks EC to disqualify parliamentary secretaries in Punjab and Himachal

New Delhi: Fighting to save its 21 parliamentary secretaries in the capital from being disqualified, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday wrote to the Election Commission and sought similar action against MLAs in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

The AAP in its letter said 24 parliamentary secretaries have been appointed by the Punjab government and nine by the Himachal Pradesh government, The Indian Express reported. All these should also be disqualified on charges of office of profit, the party added.

The AAP letter comes in the wake of the Commission’s decision to personally meet the 21 AAP MLAs next month amid the row over their appointment as parliamentary secretaries by Delhi's AAP government.

Recently, the Delhi government had brought and passed a Bill in the Legislative Assembly to ratify the appointment of the 21 MLAs as parliamentary secretaries.

The Bill aimed at exempting the position of parliamentary secretary from the definition of “Office of Profit”.

However, President Pranab Mukherjee returned the Bill without his approval.