A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Today asked AAP to approach the Land And Development Office to allot land for its offices. Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been directed by Supreme Court to vacate its New Delhi headquarters that stands on the land allotted to the Delhi High Court for expanding judicial infrastructure.
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NEW DELHI: Today (March 4th), the Supreme Court instructed the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to evacuate its offices located at Rouse Avenue in the capital city. The court’s decision came after it observed that the land was designated for the expansion of judicial infrastructure for the Delhi High Court.
Granting the party an extension, the apex court has allowed AAP time until June 15, 2024, to vacate the premises. The bench, consisting of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, directed AAP to approach the Land And Development Office (L&DO) to seek suitable land for relocating its offices.
“We would request the L&DO to process the application and communicate its decision within a period of four weeks,”
-the bench stated, emphasizing that AAP presently lacks the lawful right to continue occupying the allotted land.
Considering the impending Lok Sabha elections, the bench extended the deadline until June 15 for AAP to vacate the premises.
“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 utilized on an expeditious basis,”
-the court clarified.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the city’s ruling party, argued that AAP holds the status of one of the six national parties in India.
“They are telling us as a national party we get nothing. I’m given Badarpur, while everyone else is in better places,”
-Singhvi expressed.
“We have informed the Centre that we require a central office in the NDMC area. Provide us with any other location. However, they are offering us Badarpur,”
-he elaborated.
In response to AAP’s request, the Supreme Court granted the party permission to approach the Centre-led Land and Development Office (L&DO) to seek a new land allocation. The court stressed that the request should be handled in accordance with legal procedures within a timeframe of four weeks.
Furthermore, the bench clarified that AAP ceased to be a lawful occupant of the land in question after 2015. Despite AAP’s insistence on vacating the premises only after securing an alternative plot, Chief Justice directed Singhvi to find a resolution independently, asserting,
“You can’t utilize our good offices to secure land or building allocations.”
In reaction to the Supreme Court’s ruling, AAP’s chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar stated that the party respects the court’s decision and expressed hope that the BJP refrains from engaging in regressive and negative politics regarding the matter.
“We respect the order of the Supreme Court. The court has also directed the land and development department of the central government to allot land to Aam Aadmi Party. We just hope that BJP does not engage in regressive and negative politics and allocates us land in the same location as other national parties,”
-Kakkar remarked.
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