AAP moves Delhi HC, seeks land for party offices
Dec 12, 2023
New Delhi [India], December 12 : The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday moved the Delhi High Court seeking direction from the Centre to take necessary steps as per law to allot suitable land in New Delhi, enabling the party to construct offices for its national and Delhi units at the earliest, citing its recognition as a national party.
The bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad, after noting the submissions, issued a notice to the Centre through its Secretary Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Land and Development office, directing them to file their replies in the matter.
The bench posted the matter for the next hearing on April 23, 2024.
Aam Aadmi Party plea stated that it is entitled to a total area of one thousand square metres for the construction of the offices for its National and State units in view of the policies issued by the Respondents which prescribe allotment of land up to 500 square meters to all National parties having up to 15 Members of Parliament in both Houses.
Further, it also provides for an additional allocation of land up to 500 square meters for Delhi state units where the National Party has representation in the Delhi legislature.
The plea further stated that the National People's Party, which was recognised as a National Party as recently as 2019 with one member each in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, was also allotted land at North Avenue, New Delhi for construction of its National Party Office. Other National Parties also currently have offices on land allotted in central locations including Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, Akbar Road etc.
However, the refusal of the respondent to allot land to the Petitioner/Aam Aadmi Party for the construction of its National and State Unit offices in New Delhi despite clear entitlement to the same and despite the passage of almost six months since its recognition as a National Party is not only arbitrary but also discriminatory.
Such refusal is all the more egregious as the Petitioner is a party in Opposition and hence, it is incumbent on the Respondents to enable the full exercise of democratic freedoms by those in Opposition instead of misusing their power to curtail such rights.
The refusal to allot land has placed the Party at great disadvantage in comparison to other National Parties and thus, violates the very ethos of a democratic parliamentary system, preventing the Party from functioning properly in the absence of proper office premises, plea read.
