L-G Anil Baijal cancels allotment of bungalow for party office: AAP

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of playing dirty politics, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday said Delhi Lt Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal has cancelled the allotment of a bungalow at 206 Rouse Avenue, renamed Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, that houses the AAP headquarters.

However, the L-G's Office did not confirm the development.

"I have got to know that the L-G has cancelled the allotment made for the AAP office," AAP leader Sanjay Singh said.

"Why so much enmity with AAP? What crime has the AAP committed that you (L-G) do not let us work in Delhi?" he asked.

 

The AAP leader accused the BJP of playing "dirty politics" and said that injustice was being done to the AAP despite it holding 67 of the 70 seats in the Delhi assembly.

"The party — which is in power in Delhi — cannot have an office though 14 Pant Marg, a ministerial bungalow, is allocated to the BJP's state unit for office," Sanjay Singh said.

"I do not understand what kind of discrimination is being done to AAP."

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the move was a result of the AAP's fight to save the nation from corruption.

"It is not a joke. We are fighting a battle to save the nation from corrupt people and their agents. So this is bound to happen," Sisodia tweeted.

The move comes a day after a three-member Shunglu Committee appointed by the then L-G Najeeb Jung questioned a Cabinet decision to allot government-owned Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg bungalow to the AAP for its office.

"Since land is a 'reserved' subject, this decision should be deemed null and void," the report said, referring to land in Delhi not falling under the city government's purview.

"The elected government doesn't have any power to deal with the subject of land, let alone allot it," the report added.

Headed by former Comptroller and Auditor General V K Shunglu, the committee was set up by the then L-G Jung in August last year after the Delhi High Court gave primacy to the L-G in Delhi's administrative affairs.

The report was submitted to the L-G's office in November last year, weeks before Jung resigned on December 22.