NEW DELHI: Two Aam Aadmi Party lawmakers were given a week’s time by Delhi legislative Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on Tuesday to present their case against disqualification as MLAs.
Anil Bajpai, the Gandhi Nagar MLA, and suspended Bijwasan MLA Colonel Devinder Sehrawat, who recently joined the BJP citing the “dictatorial” behaviour of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, had been served a notice by the Speaker after AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj moved a petition to have them disqualified for defection.
The MLAs regularly take part in BJP events and attack Chief Minister Kejriwal.
“We requested a time of four weeks to present our case against disqualification as MLAs. In the meeting with the Speaker, one week’s time has been given to us. I have not resigned from AAP, but the party spokesperson himself said that we had been expelled from the party two years ago. So we would also like to know what is our status,” said Sehrawat.
A founding member of AAP, Sehrawat had distanced himself from the party in the past few years. The MLA joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Vijay Goel and the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Vijender Gupta. He said he was unhappy with the party’s stance on issues related to national security.
“In the last three years, abusing Prime Minister Modi was the favourite pastime of Kejriwal. But after the Lok Sabha poll thrashing, the attitude has changed. First, you abuse and humiliate MLAs in meetings, then you go and meet the Central ministers, go to the swearing-in ceremony and talk about working together. Why are we to be blamed for the problems?” said Sehrawat.