Aam Adami Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha has strongly criticized the cancellation of his allotted government bungalow, describing it as “arbitrary and unprecedented.” In a statement, Chadha also alleged that the cancellation was carried out at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to serve their political interests.
Chadha’s statement follows a Delhi court ruling that he has no right to continue occupying the government bungalow, which was allotted to him after the initial allotment was canceled. The court has lifted the interim stay that had been granted to Chadha.
In his statement, Chadha pointed out that the cancellation of his allocated official accommodation was done without any prior notice to him, and such an action had not been seen in over 70 years of Rajya Sabha history. He emphasized that he had been residing in the accommodation for a considerable period, with more than four years of his tenure as a Rajya Sabha member still remaining.
The Rajya Sabha Secretariat had initially sent a notice to Chadha in March 2023, requesting him to vacate the Type VII bungalow allotted at Pandara Road, New Delhi, in July 2022. Instead, he was to be allotted a relatively lower-grade bungalow. Chadha had sought legal intervention in April and obtained an interim stay against the eviction order.
Chadha took the opportunity to criticize the BJP, alleging irregularities in the cancellation order and subsequent actions taken by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat that went against established rules and regulations. He suggested that these actions were carried out to further the political motives and vested interests of the BJP, aiming to suppress vocal parliamentarians like himself who raised political criticism.
Chadha argued that the allotment of the accommodation had been made by the Chairman of Rajya Sabha himself, considering all relevant factors specific to him. He contended that the subsequent cancellation of the accommodation without any justification indicated that the entire process was an attempt to unfairly target and victimize him.
The AAP MP also highlighted that many of his neighbors, who were first-time MPs, had been allotted the same accommodation beyond their entitlement. He pointed out that approximately 118 out of 240 Rajya Sabha Members were residing in accommodations that exceeded their entitlement. Chadha considered this selective targeting of vocal representatives engaged in opposition to the BJP as detrimental to the nation’s democracy.
Regarding the court’s ruling, Chadha mentioned that it had returned his case based on a legal technicality, which he believed was based on an incorrect understanding of the law. He indicated that he would take appropriate legal action as advised. Chadha affirmed his commitment to fearlessly raising the voice of the people of Punjab and India, regardless of the costs involved.
