A Delhi court on October 6 said that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha cannot claim that he has an absolute right to continue to occupy a government bungalow after its allotment to him was cancelled by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.
The court said that the allotment of a government bungalow to an MP is a “privilege” and not a “right”. It also said that the Rajya Sabha Secretariat has the power to cancel the allotment of a government bungalow to an MP if it finds that the MP is not entitled to it or if the MP is misusing the bungalow.
The court’s order comes after the Rajya Sabha Secretariat cancelled the allotment of a Type-VII government bungalow in Delhi’s Pandara Road to Chadha in March 2023. The Secretariat had cancelled the allotment after it found that Chadha was not entitled to a Type-VII government bungalow as it was higher than his entitlement as a first time MP and he was allotted another flat.
Chadha was earlier allotted a Type VII bungalow at Pandara Road in Delhi in September 2022.
Chadha had challenged the cancellation of the allotment in the Patiala court. Following that, Chadha filed an appeal with the Patiala House Court against the order, and the court granted a stay on April 18. Following that, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat filed a petition appealing the stay decision, claiming that the order was passed without being heard.
On Friday, the court decided to rescind its stay order after hearing the arguments. The Rajya Sabha Secretariat, according to Chadha’s lawyer, does not fit under the term of “government” or “public officer.” The court, however, dismissed this argument.
Raghav Chadha also asserted that MP accommodation, once allotted, cannot be cancelled under any circumstances during their full tenure was rejected. Chadha put forth the argument in response to the administrative decision that often results in accommodation reshuffling for a variety of reasons. Rejecting Chadha’s plea, the court clarified that an MP’s official lodging isn’t immune to changes.
The court’s order is a blow to Chadha, who is a close aide of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. It is also a setback for the AAP, which has been accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of targeting its leaders.
Raghav Chadha, according to the Rajya Sabha Members Handbook, is entitled to Type-V accommodation. The guidelines set forth by the Parliamentary body stipulate that first-time MPs are afforded this type of accommodation.
However, for those who have served in higher government offices, significantly larger residences are provided. Specifically, former Union Cabinet Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, and Lok Sabha Speakers are entitled to the more spacious Type-VII bungalows.
Raghav Chadha recently married Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra in a lavish wedding ceremony at Udaipur’s The Leela Palace. The bride was greeted at Chadha’s official home in Delhi, and it was believed that Parineeti would relocate to the bungalow. However, the wedding bride will now have to relocate to a separate, smaller home.
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