Summary:
NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Thursday indicated that it plans to allow Aam Aadmi Party legislators , facing allegations of violating office-of-profit rule, to move the Election Commission (EC) for permission to summon witnesses . It said the poll panel will decide such a plea as per the law.A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar said it will issue directions once the MLAs and EC give their assent and are keeping a “draft order” ready.HC found via media after conclusion of arguments on the pleas moved by the AAP MLAs seeking directions to the EC to permit them to cross-examine the person who had complained to the poll panel alleging that the legislators were holding office of profit when they were appointed parliamentary secretaries to various state ministers.The MLAs had also sought that the secretary general of the legislative assembly and officers concerned from administration and accounts departments and the state’s law ministry be summoned as witnesses to prove that the MLAs did not hold ‘office-of-profit.’The 20 MLAs, including law minister Kailash Gahlot, have in their plea urged that they be allowed to summon the Delhi government officials as witnesses and sought clarification of the HC’s March 23 decision setting aside their disqualification by the poll panel..