CM Arvind Kejriwal breaks silence on disqualification of AAP MLAs, says ‘truth prevails in the end’

NewDelhi: Hours after the Election Commission of India (ECI) recommended disqualification of 20 AAP legislators for holding “office of profit”, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal broke his silence on the issue and said that ”in the end only truth prevails”.

The AAP convenor took to Twitter late on Friday and said, “Hurdles naturally come when one walks on the path of truth”.

“Hurdles do come when one walks on the path of truth and honesty. This is natural. But all the visible and invisible powers of the universe help you. God supports you because you don’t work for yourself but for the nation and the society,” Kejriwal said in the tweet.

“History is a witness that it is the truth that wins in the end,” the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor added. 

The reactions from Kejriwal came after the poll watchdog recommended the disqualification of 20 AAP legislators for holding the office of profit.

In its opinion sent to President Ram Nath Kovind, the Election Commission reportedly said the MLAs, by occupying the post of parliamentary secretaries between March 13, 2015, and September 8, 2016, held the office of profit and were liable to be disqualified as legislators. By precedent, the President will go with the recommendations of the poll panel.

An angry AAP claimed the Election Commission has never “touched this low” after the poll panel recommended disqualification of party’s 20 MLAs for allegedly holding the office of profit. “The EC should not be the letterbox of the PMO. But that is the reality today,” Ashutosh tweeted

“A person like me who has covered EC as a reporter during (T N) Seshan days, today I can say EC has never touched so low ever,” the scribe-turned politician added.

Backing AAP in its moment of crisis, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted, “A Constitutional body cannot be used for political vendetta. The 20 AAP MLAs were not even given a hearing by the Hon EC. Most unfortunate. This goes against the principles of natural justice. At this hour we are strongly with @arvindkejriwal and his team.”

The Aam Aadmi Party, led by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has 65-members in the 70-seat Delhi Assembly. The disqualification of 20 MLAs doesn’t jeopardise the government as it will still have 45 members, well over the halfway mark in the house.

Here is the full list of 20 AAP MLAs who face disqualification:-

1. Adarsh Shastri from Dwarka constituency