NEW DELHI: Fifty of 66 AAP MLAs have refused to declare their assets and liabilities as directed by Delhi lokayukta Reva Khetarpal, and filed affidavits stating that the court of the lokayukta lacks jurisdiction to issue such directions as there is no law or statutory provision that prescribes it.

Sources in the lokayukta office said leader of the opposition Vijender Gupta, BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa and AAP rebel MLA Kapil Mishra have submitted their property details to the lokayukta. Social welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam and transport minister

are among the 50 MLAs who have filed the replies, while CM

and deputy CM

haven’t.

The MLAs also stated the complaint filed by advocate Vivek Garg, which prompted the notice, “is devoid of any merit and the same be dismissed with exemplary cost”. They said under Section 9(2) of the Lokayukta Act, 1995, the petitioner should be penalised and sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment for false and baseless complaints.

Garg had alleged that “AAP MLAs had not filed details of their assets from 2015 to 2018 and were concealing them in a conspiracy to obtain wrongful gains”. Last week, the lokayukta sent a notice to all MLAs asking them to furnish details for the financial years 20152016, 2016-17 and 2017-18.

‘Lokayukta notice guided by tiff with govt

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “The notice by the lokayukta to MLAs is malafide as it is guided by her tiff with Delhi government. She has misused her office and powers and we are protesting that misuse.” Bharadwaj, however, stated that all AAP MLAs had filed their assets and liabilities to Election Commission during assembly elections in 2013 and 2015. “All of us will again file the affidavits in 2020 elections detailing ours and our family assets and liabilities,” he added.

Delhi assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel recently slammed Khetarpal for “showing tearing hurry in issuing notices to AAP MLAs” and also urged her to Vijender Gupta said, “AAP came to power with the promise of lokpal, lokayukta and transparency. Now they are raising questions on the jurisdiction of the lokayukta.” “The Centre should make it compulsory under Lokpal and Lokayukta Act for all MPs and MLAs to file an annual report of assets. We will support this law in Parliament,” Bharadwaj said.

recall the notice. Asked if he would approach the Delhi high court against the notice, Goel said, “I am taking legal advice on the matter.”