Shakespeare writes, “The quality of mercy is not strained… It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”
Blessings are kind of like that; blessings such as the Delhi High Court’s order in regard to 20 MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party at Delhi Assembly.
These MLAs were affirmed disqualified by the Presidential notification on the recommendations of the Election Commission. The Court had directed the Election Commission to hear the case again.
The Delhi High Court’s order on the petition filed by the disqualified MLAs brought huge relief to them ultimately. As many as 20 assembly legislators have been enthralled with the court’s fair dealing making their disqualification null and void.
All the MLAs in their petition said that they were removed without a full-fledged enquiry and without an opportunity to explain if they ever held any office of profit.
Way back in March 2015 the AAP government had appointed parliamentary secretaries to 21 MLAs. Terming it as an office of profit, Prashant Patel, advocate, raised a demand for cancellation of their membership through his complaint to the President of India. Because of the resignation of Jarnail Singh, MLA, the number came down to 20.
The Aam Aadmi Party should be glad at the innate impartiality of the court of law. If a wrong had been done with the AAP members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, the state high court heard their actual case and quashed the notification. The party leaders are now feeling reassured following the court’s reasonable order.
Excitement pulsed through their personality as they asked, “What mistake have we made?” The AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, called the HC order a victory for the people of Delhi.
He also added that the truth had at long last prevailed. This was an opportunity they needed to bring a change to the prevailing hard times all around.
Their real problem was their rivals’ malice, and it had become the topic of almost every political conversation. They kept on criticising their disqualification as a violation of natural justice. They really felt let down after development. It took a lot of convincing for them to cheer up.