EC considering petition against Nirmala Deshpande

New Delhi, July 29 (UNI) The Election Commission has received replies from eminent Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande, a Rajya Sabha member, and the petitioner, Mangal Singh, who has sought her disqualification as an MP for holding several offices of profit.

While Ms Deshpande has in her response maintained that her post as Co-Chairman of the Rajghat Samadhi Committee could not be construed as an office of profit, the complainant has argued that the Co-Chairman enjoyed a lot of power and was availing financial benefits.

''The fact that the salary of her Personal Assistant was being paid simultaneously both by Rajghat Samadhi Committee as well as Rajya Sabha Secretariat, as admitted by Ms Nirmala Deshpande in an interview to the journal Tehelka) clearly shows that as Co-Chairman she was availing financial benefits from Rajghat Samadhi Committee, albeit for her Personal Assistant,'' he said.

Ms Deshpande said she was not holding any office at the time of her election to the Rajya Sabha on July 5, 2004. She was elected by the House as a member of the Rajghat Samadhi Committee vide a government notification on September 2004.

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