Raghav Chadha cannot claim right to occupy govt bungalow: Court

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has said that AAP’s Raghav Chadha cannot claim that he has an absolute right to continue to occupy the government bungalow during his entire tenure as a Member of the Rajya Sabha even after the cancellation of allotment.

Additional District Judge Sudhanshu Kaushik made the observation while vacating an interim order passed on April 18 that had directed the Rajya Sabha Secretariat not to dispossess Chadha from the government bungalow. Reacting to the order, Chadha said he would be taking appropriate action in law in due course.

“The trial court had initially accepted my plea and granted me interim relief. It has now returned my case on a legal technicality, which I am legally advised to state is based on an incorrect understanding of the law. I will be taking appropriate action in law in due course,” he said in a statement.

In an order passed on October 5, the judge said the argument that the accommodation once made to a Member of Parliament cannot be cancelled under any circumstances during the member’s entire tenure deserves to be rejected.

“It may also be added that plaintiff has no vested right in the accommodation and his status is akin to that of a licensee, which can be revoked by the competent authority at any time. Plaintiff cannot claim that he has an absolute right to continue to occupy the accommodation during his entire tenure as a Member of Rajya Sabha,” the judge said.