The Supreme Court has directed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to vacate its political office by June 15, taking into account the impending Lok Sabha elections. The directive was issued due to the office’s location on a plot designated for the expansion of a district court, originally allocated to the Delhi High Court.
Additionally, the court instructed AAP to approach the Land And Development Office for the allocation of alternative office space. The Land and Development Office has been directed to process AAP’s request within four weeks and communicate its decision within the stipulated timeframe.
AAP argued that its office near the Rouse Avenue court was allotted well before plans for the court’s extension. The party’s lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, highlighted AAP’s status as one of India’s six national parties and pointed out the presence of a similarly sized BJP office in the vicinity. Singhvi mentioned that AAP had been instructed to construct its office in Delhi’s Badarpur area and proposed alternative plots in the same locality.
He emphasized the need for equitable treatment, suggesting that if AAP is required to relocate, other parties should do the same. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud granted AAP an extension until June 15, 2024, to vacate the premises to facilitate the expansion of the district judiciary’s footprint.
