AAP took somersault in court to secure 21 MLAs' position in Vidhan Sabha, says petitioner

Describing the Delhi High Court verdict that quashed the appointment of the Delhi Government's 21 parliamentary secretaries as a "landmark", petitioner Prashant Patel on Thursday said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took a "flip in the court to save its position in the Vidhan Sabha", while demanding punishment against the government and the parliamentary secretaries.

"They took advantage for15-16 and were provided with all the facilities and used its prestige and patronage. I have received information that they have been warned by their lawyers that they will not be able to save the membership. So, for saving themselves, they (Delhi Government) took a turn and accepted that they had illegally appointed them so that they could save their seats in the Vidhan Sabha. But this is not going to happen, because they stayed in that position and used the executive powers. They have committed a crime by going against the Constitution, and thus, they should be punished," Patel said.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court quashed the appointment of 21 parliamentary secretaries after the AAP Government accepted that the Lt Governor's approval was not taken into the matter.

The AAP had appointed the parliament secretaries to assist its ministers in the national capital.

A bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal pronounced the judgement after the Delhi Government's counsel accepted that the Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification Amendment) Bill- 2015, was passed without the concurrence of the Lieutenant Governor.

Earlier in June, President Pranab Mukherjee rejected the Bill passed by the Delhi Government in 2015 to exempt the post of Parliamentary Secretary from the purview of office-for-profit.

Kejriwal had passed an order appointing the 21 MLAs, including Alka Lamba, Jarnail Singh, Adarsh Shastri and Rajesh Gupta, as Parliamentary Secretaries on March 13, 2015.

Attempting to save from disqualification provisions for holding two offices of profit at one time, the Delhi Government then sought to amend the Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of the Disqualification) Act, 1997.

The Bill was forwarded by Lieutenant Governor to the Centre, which in turn sent it to the President with its comments.