New Delhi: Centre on Thursday said that the expression – office of profit – has not been defined in any law. This was stated by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in a written reply in the  Lok Sabha in the backdrop of 21 Aam Admi Party MLAs facing the prospect of disqualification for holding the post of parliamentary secretaries in the Delhi government. He also made it clear that taking steps for disqualifying the legislators working as parliamentary secretaries is a state subject and the central government has no role in it.

Responding to a question on whether the posts of parliamentary secretaries to ministers in the country comes under the ambit of office of profit, Mr Prasad said that there are no posts of parliamentary secretaries to ministers in the Union of India. He said, there is no reference to the post of parliamentary secretaries in the Parliament (Prevention of disqualification) Act, 1959.

The Minister noted that the post of parliamentary secretaries has been created in some states. He said, whether such posts come within the ambit of office of profit or not depends upon the nature of post, the terms and conditions of appointment, termination, the payment attached thereto, the functions performed thereunder.