HC reserves order on AAP’s plea for allotment of space for party offices

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday reserved its order on a plea by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seeking the allocation of space for its offices by the Centre on account of being recognised as a national party.

Considering that the current party office in Rouse Avenue has to be vacated by June 15, AAP’s senior counsel argued that a unit on Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Marg ought to be temporarily allotted to it.

The court said it is likely to pass an order on the issue of temporary allotment of the space on June 5.

“I will try to pronounce it during the vacations. Most probably on the 5th (of June),” said Justice Subramonium Prasad.

The AAP had moved the court last year by filing two separate petitions seeking a piece of land in the national capital for the construction of its offices in view of its status as a recognised national party or allotment of a housing unit on a licence basis for the time being. While reserving a verdict on the allotment of temporary accommodation, the court listed the petition with respect to the allotment of land to the AAP for a hearing on July 10.

Senior advocate Rahul Mehra said a national party is entitled to a temporary office until land is given to it for the construction of a permanent party office and in the instant case, one of the ministers in the AAP government was willing to forgo his occupation of a unit on Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Marg in favour of the party.

Asserting that a fair and level playing field has to be established, the senior counsel said no prejudice would be caused to the Centre if this plot on DDU land is given to the AAP in view of the present circumstances.

“I am not saying I have a permanent entitlement to it. I am only asking for two to three months, till the time they allot me proper land. My minister will stay without government accommodation,” Mehra said.

The central government lawyer said the allotment has to come from the general pool and there is no exclusive list for political parties.

He said the AAP was offered land in 2014 for the purposes of its offices but the same was not accepted and currently, allotting a housing unit from the pool was not feasible.