Election Commission rejects AAP MLAs' plea to cross-examine petitioner Prashant Patel in office-of-profit case

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Tuesday rejected a plea by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs to cross-examine a petitioner, who sought their disqualification, to prove that they were not holding any “office of profit”. In its 70-page order, the poll panel said, “There is no occasion and need for the cross-examination of the petitioner as he is not a witness in the present proceedings and the respondents have failed to make out a case for calling any witness as pleaded in their applications. Therefore, this commission dismisses the applications under consideration.” The Election Commission is hearing afresh the case related to disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs for allegedly holding office of profit by virtue of their appointment as parliamentary secretaries. The Delhi AAP lawmakers had moved the plea on 16 May for cross-examination of petitioner Prashant Patel , and officials of the Assembly and city government to prove that they were not holding any office of profit by being appointed as parliamentary secretaries.