New Delhi: Observing that the Aam Aadmi Party has no lawful right to continue on the land, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the party to vacate its offices at Rouse Avenue in the national capital by June 15, 2024, after noting that the plot was allotted to the Delhi High Court for expanding judicial infrastructure.
Taking note of the fact that Lok Sabha elections are around the corner, a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked AAP to approach Land And Development Office under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry for allotment of land for its offices.
“In view of the impending general elections, we grant time until June 15, 2024, to vacate the premises so that land allotted to expand the district judiciary’s footprint can be utilised on an expeditious basis.
“We would request the L&DO to process the application and communicate its decision within a period of four weeks,” the bench said.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the city’s ruling party, submitted that AAP is one of the six national parties in the country and it is entitled to land in the New Delhi municipal area in accordance with its status.
“They are telling us as a national party we get nothing. I’m given (land in) Badarpur, while everyone else is in better places. A particular government does not want me to be flourishing and working,” Singhvi said. Calling AAP an “encroacher”, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the top court that the land allotment to the party was revoked in June 2017. Advocate K Parameshwar, appointed as amicus curiae to assist the apex court in the matter, informed the bench that by a communication dated June 13, 2017, the Public Works Department of the Delhi government apprised the National Secretary of the AAP that the allotment of Bungalow no.206 at Rouse Avenue stood revoked as per the directions of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
The AAP had earlier denied that its offices at Rouse Avenue are an encroachment on land allotted to the Delhi High Court for judicial infrastructure and told the top court that it was officially allotted to it by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi.
Meanwhile, The AAP said it respects the Supreme Court’s order asking it to vacate its offices in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue by June 15 and expressed hope that it would be allotted a land in the same location soon.
Priyanka Kakkar, the AAP’s chief national spokesperson, said, “We respect the Supreme Court. The apex court has also directed that the Centre’s L&DO (Land and Development Office) to allot an alternative land for the AAP’s office as soon as possible.”