The Delhi High Court on Wednesday set aside an order by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal cancelling the allotment of a bungalow to the Aam Aadmi Party in the Capital, PTI reported. The bench said the order did not specify which rule was violated by allotting the bungalow to the ruling party.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru gave eight weeks’ time to Baijal, asking him to pass another “reasoned order” after hearing out the arguments of AAP. In April, Baijal had cancelled the land allotted for the AAP’s headquarters after the Shunglu Committee report had accused the Delhi government of “gross abuse of power”.
The High Court also put a Public Works Department order on hold. The PWD had asked AAP to pay over Rs 27 lakh in rent for the Rouse Avenue bungalow. The bunglow was allotted to the party in December 2015, after Arvind Kejriwal formed the government in the state
The bench also asked the Centre to uniformly apply the policy of allotting accommodation to all political parties. The ruling government in Delhi had claimed in its plea that it was being singled out by other political parties as the BJP and the Congress were granted multiple accommodations in the national Capital.
AAP leader Raghav Chadha welcomed the High Court’s order setting aside Baijal’s order. “Has been declared ex facie illegal. Boom!” Chadha said on Twitter.
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