NEW DELHI: The
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today said the
Election Commission (
EC) has hit "a new low" by recommending that 20
AAP MLAs be disqualified for holding 'offices of profit', because the electoral body "didn't give the legislators a chance to present their case".
AAP also called the EC's decision a "conspiracy" against the party that rode an anti-corruption wave to win Delhi by a landslide in 2015. It was also extremely critical of the EC chief AK Joti.
"Election Commission chief AK Joti is trying to repay Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi before he retires", alleged AAP's Saurabh Bhardwaj in a media conference called after news of the EC's decision broke. In a tweet, he said that Joti, who turns 65 on January 23, will have to retire.
Another AAP leader called the EC's decision "a new low" for the national electoral body, and alleged it is kowtowing to the ruling BJP and PM Modi.
"EC should not be the letter box of the PMO (Prime Minister's Office)...but that is a reality today... (A) person like me who has covered EC as reporter during (ex-EC chef TN) Seshan days, today I can say EC has never touched so low ever. Sad," tweeted AAP leader Ashutosh.
AAP also said it heard about the EC's "unfair" recommendation through sources and not directly.
"Disqualification of MLAs was reported through 'sources', the MLAs did not get a chance to present their point," said Bhardwaj.
