New Delhi, Apr 25 (PTI) AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Saturday said that the party will write to the Rajya Sabha chairman and vice president seeking the disqualification of seven of its MPs, who quit the party a day ago, from the Upper House, calling their move “unconstitutional and illegal”.
“Anti-defection law clearly states that any type of split or faction cannot happen in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. It does not carry any legal recognition, even if it’s a two-thirds majority,” Singh said at a press conference.
The AAP leader said that neither the anti-defection law nor the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution recognises any kind of split, breakaway faction, or group in the Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha, two-thirds majority notwithstanding.
He said the position had also been made clear in the Shiv Sena case and asserted that even if the number rises from seven to eight members, it would still have no legal validity under the Tenth Schedule.
The seven MPs who have announced joining the BJP are completely “unconstitutional” and “illegal,” he said.
“I am writing to the vice president of India, and chairman of Rajya Sabha, to disqualify the seven MPs,” Singh added.
He further said that three of these individuals — Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal — had clearly gone to the BJP office on Friday, and the party would also seek action regarding the remaining four MPs being claimed as part of the move.
AAP Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak on Friday announced that they are joining the BJP along with five other MPs of the party.
Addressing a press conference, Chadha had said that seven out of 10 Rajya Sabha MPs of AAP are set to merge with the BJP.
Senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said the party was built by ordinary karyakartas and remains a party of ordinary workers, adding that many leaders had come and gone.
“The seven MPs who left had already stopped asking questions long ago, so their departure makes no difference. All conspiracies are aimed at breaking the morale of AAP karyakartas, but we will not stop asking questions,” Bharadwaj said.
He said the BJP was trying to weaken opposition parties and demoralise AAP workers, but asserted that party workers should remain strong and continue raising questions. PTI SSM SHB HIG HIG
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.