The Delhi High court on Thursday issued a notice to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on a plea challenging his election from the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency in Delhi. Justice Navin Chawla sought Vardhan's response on the petition filed by one Arun Kumar, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader did not declare his wife’s source of income in his affidavit for the recently held General Elections 2019.
Kumar, who claims to be a voter of the Chandni Chowk constituency, also demands that Vardhan's election to the Lower House of Parliament should be declared as void, adding that the minister had indulged in corrupt practices by not disclosing the real cost of a residential apartment bought by his wife in Dwarka.
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When prodded on the Delhi High Court's notice, Harsh Vardhan said, "I have not seen the notice of Delhi HC yet, I have seen only news on TV. I will give my version to Court after reading the notice but I would like to say that I have always maintained transparency in my 25 year long career, I don't need anyone's certificate".
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Under the Supreme Court order and the Election Commission of India rules, the source of income of spouse and dependants has to be declared by a candidate in his or her election affidavit. The court has listed the matter for further hearing on September 24.
In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Vardhan won the Chandni Chowk seat defeating his nearest rival and Congress candidate Jai Prakash Agarwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s Pankaj Gupta.
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