AAP's Sanjay Singh Seeks Disqualification of MPs Who Joined BJP: A Legal Battle Ahead?

Legal Action Against Defections

New Delhi: On Sunday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh announced that he has filed a petition with Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan, requesting the disqualification of seven party MPs who recently left AAP to merge with the BJP.

During a press conference, Singh emphasized that the party is prepared to take legal action if necessary, asserting that the actions of these MPs contravene the anti-defection law.

The AAP has formally requested the Rajya Sabha chairman to revoke the memberships of these MPs, arguing that they were elected under the AAP banner but subsequently chose to join the BJP.

The party faced a significant setback when seven of its Rajya Sabha members, including Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, and Swati Maliwal, announced their departure, claiming that the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal had deviated from the party's foundational principles.

Chadha pointed out that the Constitution allows two-thirds of a party's MPs to merge with another party, noting that AAP had a total of ten MPs in the Rajya Sabha.

Singh referenced various Supreme Court rulings, particularly those related to Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh, which clarify that such defections can result in disqualification.

He highlighted the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, which he believes explicitly prohibits such political defections.

Singh expressed that while delays in these matters could be frustrating, AAP is committed to pursuing legal recourse if necessary, stating that these MPs' actions represent a betrayal of both the electorate in Punjab and the Constitution.

Notably, six of the seven MPs who defected were from Punjab.

Singh dismissed rumors suggesting that some AAP MLAs in Punjab were in contact with the BJP, labeling these claims as 'false propaganda' propagated by the BJP and the defecting MPs.

He also mentioned that there is significant public discontent and protests in Punjab against the MPs for their perceived betrayal of the party and the state.

In response to allegations regarding the 'Sheesh Mahal' controversy, Singh asserted that the images shared by Delhi minister Parvesh Sahib Singh were fabricated and had already been 'debunked.'

The BJP had previously criticized AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal over a new bungalow assigned to him at Lodhi Estate, referring to it as 'Sheesh Mahal 2' and accusing him of using private funds for its enhancements.

During a press conference, Delhi PWD minister Parvesh Singh presented images of the Type VII bungalow given to Kejriwal by the Central government, claiming that the Central PWD does not allocate such funds for bungalows and alleging that 'private money' was used for superior amenities.

Singh announced that AAP would pursue defamation actions against media outlets that broadcasted the 'false' images.