‘BJP leaving no stone unturned to target vocal MPs’ says Raghav Chadha on cancellation of his allotted accommodation

Aam Adami Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha lashed out the BJP and said that the cancellation of his allotted bungalow is 'arbitrary and unprecedented'. Issuing a statement, the AAP MP also alleged that the cancellation was done at the "dictates of the BJP to further their political motives and vested interest".

His statement came after a Delhi court ruled that Chaddha has no right to continue to occupy the government bungalow given to him after the allotment was cancelled. The court has lifted the interim stay granted to Chadha.

"At the outset, it is clarified that the cancellation of my duly allotted official accommodation was arbitrary without any notice to me. It is unprecedented in more than 70 years of history of Rajya Sabha that a sitting Rajya Sabha member is sought to be removed from his duly allotted accommodation where he has been residing for a while and more than 4 years of his tenure as Rajya Sabha member are still remaining," Chadha said.

Earlier in March 2023, the RS Secretariat had sent a notice to Chadha to vacate the Type VII bungalow allotted at Pandara Road, New Delhi, in July 2022. In its place, another bungalow of a relatively lower grade was to be allotted to him. Chadha, however, had moved the Delhi Patiala House Courts in April, and succeeded in receiving an interim stay against the dispossession order.

Slamming the BJP he added, "There are many irregularities in the said order and the subsequent steps were taken by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat in clear contravention of rules and regulations. The manner of the entire exercise leaves me with no option but to believe that these have been carried out at the dictates of BJP to further their political motives and vested interest in order to scuttle and stifle the political criticism raised by the vocal parliamentarians like me.”

He further said that the allotment of the said accommodation was done by the Chairman of Rajya Sabha himself after taking into consideration all the factors peculiar to him. Adding further, he said that cancelling the accommodation without any cause or reason signals that the entire suo moto exercise was undertaken to wrongfully target and victimize him.

“The allotment of the said accommodation was done by Hon’ble Chairman of Rajya Sabha himself after taking into consideration all the factors peculiar to me. However cancelling of the accommodation subsequently without any cause or reason signals that the entire suo moto exercise was undertaken to wrongfully target and victimize me," he said in a statement.

"This along with my suspension as a Member of Parliament, which was initiated by the treasury benches, leaves no doubt that the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to target vocal Members of Parliament. This amounts to unwarranted interference in the due discharge of their functions as the Representatives of the House and hits a rock bottom of vendetta politics.”

In the statement, Chadha also pointed out that many of his neighbours were first-time MPs who had been allotted the exact same accommodation above their entitlement. 

“This is further highlighted by the fact that many of my neighbours are first time MPs who have been allotted the exact same accommodation above their entitlement like Mr. Sudhanshu Trivedi, Mr. Danish Ali, Mr. Rakesh Sinha and Ms Rupa Ganguly who was the previous occupant of the accommodation that has been allotted to me. Interestingly, about 118 out of 240 Rajya Sabha Members are living in accommodations above their entitlement but selectively targeting and interfering with vocal representatives, who are giving a strong opposition to BJP on the floor of the house and maintaining a healthy democracy, is a sorry state of affairs for the nation.”

“The trial court had initially accepted my plea and granted me interim relief. It has now returned my case on a legal technicality, which I am legally advised to state is based on an incorrect understanding of the law. I will be taking appropriate action in law in due course. Needless to state that I will continue to raise the voice of people of Punjab and India fearlessly, irrespective of the costs involved.”

(With inputs from agencies)