New Delhi: A day after President Ram Nath Kovind disqualified 20 Delhi MLAs of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the office-of-profit case, CNN-News18's Rupashree Nanda caught up with AAP leader and party spokesperson Ashutosh who said the disqualification violates the spirit of the Constitution. Ashutosh also bemoaned that the action on the part of President betrays the cooperative federalism that the PM has been stressing upon.
An edited transcript of the interview:
Q) I know you would claim this as political vendetta, but the EC has given its reasons as to why it has disqualified your MLAs. That recommendation has also found favour with the President. The notification from President got out pretty soon as well. As of today, 29 of your MLAs stand disqualified.
Ashutosh: The AAP is a political party and it is a victim party right now. But I will just show you the editorial which has been written by the Indian Express (IE). What the IE clearly writes is that the disqualification of the 20 MLAs of the AAP by the President of India on Sunday on a binding recommendation by the Election Commission raises disturbing questions. This is not what AAP is saying, this is what the IE is saying.
Opinion on this could be divided. Indian Express has taken a position which it has stated very clearly. It is clear that such a big decision is going to spark a debate. And we know that there are various political parties such as TMC CPM, Shiv Sena who have questioned this.
Q) But the question for you is that you have lost your 20 MLAs. What do you think is in store for the party?
Ashutosh: AAP is worried, not about the fact that we lost twenty MLAs, but about the constitution of this country and about the dangers to democracy.
What we are worried about is that this country is not run according to the spirit of the Constitution, according to the letter of the Constitution. And if the country is not being run according to the democratic spirit of the Constitution, how will the country move forward? Today, I feel that this country is in a situation where the office of Election Commission and the office of the President is in the dock. Can the President of India blindly follow a recommendation by the Election Commission. And with all due respect to Mr Ram Nath Kovind as President, I want to remind him, there was a time when Mr K R Narayanan was the President of this country and he had the guts to return the recommendations of the Cabinet not once but twice and that is why Narayanan stands as one of the tallest Presidents this country has ever seen. I am sure Mr Kovind would have been worried about his stature and his prestige and how history will evaluate him. I am sure he must have thought about it.
Q) The President gave his assent within 24 hours. He could have waited for some time if he had wanted but he was bound to give his assent in this particular case. Looking at the way he has done it, it seems that he is convinced by it?
Ashutosh: I understand that. What is more important: the spirit of the Constitution or the letter of the Constitution? The spirit of the Constitution is paramount and was given by Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar. It is unfortunate that Mr Ram Nath Kovind, who thinks that he is a follower of Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar, is blindly following the diktats of a man who is sitting in Prime Minister's office. So this is sad.
Q) You are training your guns on the President of India. On Saturday, your MLAs had requested to place their views before the President but that also did not come through. Perhaps, it was too late?
Ashutosh: I am not targeting the President. He is my President also, but we have every right to criticise this is what democracy is all about. Today, the question which needs answering is which people should be appointed as members of the Election Commission? What men of integrity should be appointed as Chief Election Commissioner, as Election Commissioners? If somebody has worked as the chief secretary to a Chief Minister, who now happens to be the Prime Minister, can you expect some neutrality and impartiality? The answer is: no.
Q) The way you have attacked the Election Commission is also something that has been reflected in the order that they have given. The EC has slammed you for insisting on a full bench of the Election Commission. What about your party? Are you not worried that this tag will stick to you that MLAs wanted to make profit? Are you not worried that there will be rebellion in the party when its strength is weakened? You might have to face an election.
Ashutosh: See it is not a misstep. If AAP has committed crime what about Chhattisgarh government, what about Punjab, what about MP? 119 MLAs are holding office of profit and the matter is pending in Chhattisgarh. If the EC takes action against MLAs who are holding office of profit, then that government will collapse. Why this discriminatory behaviour against AAP. Why this targeting of AAP? That is the question today. The PM speaks about cooperative federalism, is this cooperative federalism? No; this is not. This is vendetta against AAP because AAP believes in honest politics; and, we are not willing to compromise, we are not going to surrender, we are not going to succumb to the pressures which Mr Modi, sitting in the PM office, is trying to put on us.
Q) Do you have faith in the High Court?
Ashutosh: We have full faith in the Constitution and full faith in the judiciary and let’s hope we get justice.
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