NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has ordered that Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha has no vested right to continue to occupy his government bungalow after the cancellation of its allotment.
Additional District Judge Sudhanshu Kaushik has vacated an earlier order that stopped the Rajya Sabha Secretariat from evicting Chadha from his government accommodation.
"Plaintiff (Chadha) 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 allotment of Government accommodation is only a privilege given to the plaintiff and he has no vested right to continue to occupy the same even after the cancellation of allotment," said the order.
Earlier in June, the Rajya Sabha secretariat was directed by the court not to evict him from a Type-7 bungalow in Lutyens’ Delhi, which is usually allotted to lawmakers who are former ministers, chief ministers or governors, till the pendency of his application and without following the due process of law.
".. the argument that the accommodation once made to a Member of Parliament cannot be canceled under any circumstances during the entire tenure of Member of Parliament deserves rejection," the court clarified in the order.
Emphasising that Chadha has "no vested right in the accommodation and his status is akin to that of a licensee", the court said it "can be revoked by the competent authority at any time."
Earlier, Chadha had moved the court, stating the cancellation of the allotment of his Type VII bungalow on Pandara Road, New Delhi, did not follow due process of law, was arbitrary, and that no reasons were provided for it.
It was claimed by the AAP leader that for removing an MP from the bungalow, reasons must be provided in the letter of allotment. While appealing against the eviction, Chadhar had prayed that he was residing with his parents.