The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Ex-minister disqualified from Delhi Assembly for defection
Alittleovertwomonthsafterhe quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing it of being mired in graft, former Social Welfare Minister in the Delhi Cabinet, Raaj Kumar Anand, was disqualified from the Legislativeassemblyfordefection.
Speaking totheindianexpress, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said: “He was given three opportunities to be present and submit his stand with regard to why his membership of the Delhilegislativeassemblyshould not be cancelled under the provisionsofthetheanti-defectionlaw; he did not appear on any of these, andhence,hasbeendisqualified.”
When contacted, Anand said the move reflected “anti-dalit mentality” of the AAP. “They had called me today, I was unwell so I could not go...arvind Kejriwal doesn't go even when he gets 9 noticesfromtheed...,myex-parte disqualification reflects the antidalit mentality of the AAP...AS far as the disqualification is concerned, I am yet to get the order and I will take recourse as per the law.ifitisalegalorder,wewillfollow the law; if not, it will be challenged,” he said.
Under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, “a member of a House belonging to any political party shall be disqualified... if he hasvoluntarilygivenuphismembership of such political party...”
Anand, who represented the reserved Patel Nagar Assembly constituency, and had also accused the AAP of “ignoring the Dalit community”, had resigned from the Delhi Cabinet as well as the primary membership of the AAP on April 10, just days after Delhi CM Kejriwal's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the liquor policy case.
In May, he joined the Bahujan Samaj Party which fielded him from the New Delhi constituency in the Lok Sabha election.