Office of profit row: AAP's Gopal Rai claims party victimised by Election Commission, says they aren't afraid of bypolls

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party has claimed to be “victimised” in the wake of the Election Commission’s recommendation to disqualify its 20 MLAs for holding offices of profit, and asserted that it was “not afraid of elections”. [caption id=“attachment_2757014” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Gopal Rai. Getty Images[/caption] AAP’s Delhi unit chief Gopal Rai alleged that the poll panel failed to give the party a hearing before sending its recommendations to President Ram Nath Kovind. “It is an undemocratic step. They are taking revenge from people of Delhi, the government and chief minister of Delhi,” he said. The AAP leader said the appointment of parliamentary secretaries had come up in 11 states, but only AAP was being targeted. “This is double standard. Doesn’t the constitution apply to all? We are being victimised. It is worse than British Raj,” he said. The case of disqualification of AAP MLAs is up for hearing at the Delhi High Court on Monday. “We will go to all democratic forums seeking justice,” he said. Underlining the AAP’s connect with people, Rai said, “We are not afraid of elections. People decide our destiny.” In a blow to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, the Election Commission had asked the president to disqualify 20 of its MLAs for holding offices of profit, setting the stage for their ouster from the Assembly. The commission said the party MLAs, by occupying the post of parliamentary secretaries between 13 March, 2015, and 8 September, 2016, held offices of profit, and were liable to be disqualified as legislators, highly-placed sources said.