Delhi Congress MP, MLAs respond to EC notice on office of profit

New Delhi, Jun 21 (UNI) Eighteen of the 47 Congress MLAs in the 70-member Delhi Assembly today responded to Election Commission notices that asked why they should not be disqualified for holding offices of profit.

Party Lok Sabha member from Outer Delhi Sajjan Kumar also sent his reply to the notice today. The EC had threatened to take ex parte decision if they did not respond by today.

Congress MLA and Delhi Waqf Board Chairman Mateen Ahmed would respond to the EC notice by July 6, party sources said.

''They denied holding offices of profit. The BJP MLA's complaint to the EC itself was wrong and politically motivated,'' state party unit chief Ram Babu Sharma said, speaking about the crux of the argument given by the party MLAs before the Commission.

''I am disappointed they did not give a copy of their replies to me. Now I would get a copy of the replies from the EC office tomorrow and file counter affidavits within the next 24 hours,'' BJP MLA Vijay Jolly, on whose complaint the EC had issued notices to the 19 MLAs and Mr Sajjan Kumar, said.

In its notices last April, the EC had asked the MLAs, as well as Mr Kumar, to answer his allegation that they were fit for disqualification under Section 146 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 for occupying offices of profit.

The notices were issued X X X (EDS: Here picking up from para 5 of DI 21, POLITICS-DELHI-CONGRESS).

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