Thanks to a Delhi High Court ruling, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha won't be evicted from his government-allocated bungalow for the time being.
The High Court on Wednesday, 17 October, revived an earlier order that had stayed his eviction from the Type VII bungalow located in New Delhi's Pandara Road.
Type VII bungalows are typically allocated to lawmakers who have served as ministers, chief ministers, or governors, according to news agency IANS.
On 18 April, the Patiala House Court had stopped the Rajya Sabha Secretariat from evicting Chadha. But, on 5 October, the same court vacated its April stay order which had paved the way for his eviction. It is this stay order that was revived on Wednesday.
The Rajya Sabha Secretariat had argued that interim relief was granted to Chadha without following the procedure outlined in Section 80(2) of the Civil Procedure Code.
Chadha gets to keep the official residence till the Patiala House Court decides on his application for interim relief, according to Bar and Bench.
Welcoming the high court's decision, MP Raghav Chadha said, "The cancellation of this allotment was a clear case of political vendetta, aimed at silencing a young, vocal parliamentarian. This incident marked an unprecedented departure from democratic norms, as it was the first time in the 70-year history of the Rajya Sabha that a member faced such political harassment for holding the government accountable."
"Every Member of Parliament is entitled to official accommodation, and what has been given to me is identical to what many many of my fellow first-time MPs have received," he added.
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