Aam Admi Party (AAP) Archives - Lokmarg

Raghav Refers Chandigarh Mayoral Unconstitutional

Raghav Bungalow Row: Delhi HC Sets Side Order To Evict Residence

By LokMarg 17th October 2023

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday set aside an order by the Patiala House court that paved the way for the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to evict Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha from his official residence in the national capital.

Member of Parliament (MP) Raghav Chadha on Tuesday welcomed the decision of the Delhi High Court to set aside a court’s order to evict the AAP MP from his official residence and said that the decision to revoke his official accommodation was arbitrary, unreasonable, and unjust.

The follow-up on the Raghav Chadha Residence row arrived a week after the AAP MP moved the Delhi High Court challenging a trial court’s decision to vacate an interim order that gave a nod and paved the way for the Rajya Sabha secretariat to evict him from the government bungalow allotted to him.

After the Delhi HC set aside the Patiala House court order, Raghav Chadha said, “This is not a fight for a house or a shop, this is a fight to save the Constitution. In the end, truth and justice have prevailed. I welcome the decision of the Delhi High Court to set aside the order of the trial court, which was against me.”

Speaking about the development further Chadha said, “The cancellation of this allotment was a clear case of political vendetta, aimed at silencing a young, vocal parliamentarian. The decision to revoke my official accommodation was arbitrary, unreasonable, and unjust, representing a new low in political vendetta.”

“This incident marked an unprecedented departure from democratic norms, as it was the first time in the 70-year history of the Rajya Sabha that a member faced such political harassment for holding the government accountable. Not only was this cancellation driven by malicious intent, but it also contained glaring irregularities that clearly violated established rules and regulations,” the AAP MP added.

“Every Member of Parliament is entitled to official accommodation, and what has been given to me is identical to what many many of my fellow first-time MPs have received. Opposition voices, those who represent the concerns of millions of Indians, are being deliberately targeted. Till now, I have delivered two speeches in parliament holding the BJP-led Central Government accountable,” said Raghav Chadha.

He further stated, “After my first speech, my official accommodation was cancelled. After my second speech, my membership as a parliamentarian was suspended. No parliamentarian can function if he is made to worry about what his forthright and honest speech will cost him next. However, I am not afraid, and I am ready to make any sacrifice to uphold the principles of democracy and hold this government accountable for its misdeeds.”

“On the issue of suspension from the Rajya Sabha, yesterday, the Supreme Court took up the matter and issued a notice to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, seeking their response on my suspension. As the matter is pending before the Supreme Court I do not want to state anything further in that respect,” he said.

“All I want to say is that they can remove me from my official accommodation, they can remove me from Parliament, but they can’t remove me from the hearts of millions of Indians, where I hope I really reside,” he stated further.

The bench of Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani last week had kept the order reserved after hearing the parties at length.

Recently Trial Court passed an order vacated and recalled the stay order which granted interim relief to the Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha that he would not be dispossessed from the current accommodation without due process of law.

The trial Court Judge Additional District Judge Sudhanshu Kaushik in an order passed on October 5, 2023, stated that on April 14 an interim relief was granted to the plaintiff (Raghav Chadha) that he would not be dispossessed from the accommodation without due process of law.

Earlier on April 18, the Court in its interim order directed that Raghav Chadha, who is staying there with his parents shall not be dispossessed from the Bungalow without due process of law.

Court had also said a prima-facie case is made out for issuing directions to the effect that plaintiff/Raghav Chadha shall not be dispossessed from bungalow No.AB-5, Pandara Road, New Delhi without due process of law.

The balance of convenience also lies in favour of the plaintiff as he is residing in the accommodation along with his parents. Plaintiff would indeed suffer irreparable injury, in case, he is dispossessed without the due process of law, said the Court.

Accordingly, till the next date of hearing, the defendant is directed not to dispossess the plaintiff from bungalow No.AB-5, Pandara Road, New Delhi without due process of law. Notice of the application under Section 80 (2) of CPC be issued to the defendant to show cause in respect of the relief claimed in the suit, added to the court in the order passed on April 18, 2023.

Raghav Chadha in his civil suit stated that he on 6.7.2022, was allotted bungalow No.C-1/12, Pandara Park, New Delhi which falls under the category of Type VI bungalow. Thereafter, on 29.8.2022, plaintiff/Raghav made a representation to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha requesting for the allotment of Type-VII accommodation. The said representation of the plaintiff was considered and on 3.9.2022, in lieu of earlier accommodation, he was allotted bungalow No.AB-5, Pandara Road, New Delhi from Rajya Sabha Pool.

The plaintiff accepted the allotment and started residing therein along with his parents after carrying out renovation work. It has been stated that the plaintiff took the physical possession of the bungalow on 9.11.2022 and the allotment made in his favour was notified in the official gazette. The plaintiff has mentioned that he came to know that the allotment made in his favour had been cancelled arbitrarily and this fact was communicated to him on dated 3.3.2023.

Through the suit, Raghav Chadha has sought directions that a letter dated 3.3.2023 issued by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat may be declared illegal. He has also sought a permanent injunction to the effect that the defendant and their associates may be restrained from taking any further action in consequence of the letter dated 3.3.2023 and they may also be restrained from allotting the bungalow to some other person.

Apart from this, Raghav Chadha has also sought damages to the tune of Rs 5,50,000/- from the defendant for causing mental agony and harassment, stated the suit. (ANI)

I Want Kejriwal To Be PM Candidate: AAP Spokesperson Priyanka

By LokMarg 30th August 2023

Setting the cat among the pigeons ahead of the third meeting of the Opposition bloc — Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) — Aam Admi Party (AAP) spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar on Wednesday said she would want party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to be the alliance’s prime ministerial candidate.

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Kakkar said, “If you ask me, I would want Arvind Kejriwal to be the Prime Ministerial candidate (of the Opposition alliance).”

She added that the AAP convenor has been highlighting issues of the public and has emerged as a credible challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hold on the country’s highest office. “Be it the PM’s academic records or qualifications or any other issue, Arvind Kejriwal has been putting across his views boldly on myriad subjects,” Kakkar told ANI.

However, even as her remark threatened to rock the Opposition boat ahead of the Mumbai meeting, which kicks off later on Wednesday and will carry over into Thursday, the AAP leader said INDIA was working to steer the country in a new direction.

She claimed that even amid the rising prices of essential commodities and food items, the national capital has the “lowest” inflation.

“Our government provides free water, free education, free electricity, free bus rides for women, and free pilgrimage for the elderly. And, yet we presented a surplus budget. He (Kejriwal) raises people’s issues and has emerged as a challenger (to PM Narendra Modi),” the AAP spokesperson added.

A total of 26 to 27 parties are likely to participate in the third meeting of the newly formed opposition alliance in Mumbai.

The INDIA partners are scheduled to hold a joint meeting on September 1 in Mumbai.

The meeting will see discussions on the bloc’s strategies ahead of the upcoming state elections and the all-important general elections next year. The logo of the Opposition alliance is also likely to be unveiled during the two-day meeting.

A total of 26 parties, including the Congress, came together against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.

The inaugural meeting of the alliance was convened by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on June 23.

The second meeting of the group was hosted at Bengaluru in Congress-ruled Karnataka on July 17-18. (ANI)

CBI Probe Into Irregularities In Buying 1,000 Low-Floor Buses By AAP Govt

By LokMarg 11th September 2022

The Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi VK Saxena has approved the proposal to forward a complaint to the CBI about the alleged irregularities in the procurement of 1,000 low-floor buses by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).

The complaint was registered by the Chief Secretary of Delhi Transport Corporation.
The complaint was filed on June 9, which stated the appointment of the Minister of Transport as the Chairman of the Committee for tendering and procurement of buses by DTC was done in a “pre-mediated manner”.

Irregularities in the bid of July 2019 for procurement of 1000 low floor BS-IV and BS-VI buses and a bid of March 2020 for purchase and annual maintenance contract of low floor BS-VI buses, read the complaint.

The said complaint was forwarded to the Chief Secretary on July 11 for eliciting comments from the concerned departments of the Government of N.C.T of Delhi (GNCTD) and recommend the way forward.

The report, thus, substantiated the claims made in the complaint. The same discrepancies were clearly brought out in a report by the Deputy Commissioner, DTC.

There were various irregularities found after a detailed examination of the documents by DTC.

The discrepancy in the document read, ” The DTC had floated the tender with RFP No CGM/SBU/924/2019/AC for procurement of 1000 buses and it was a single tender for supply of 1000 BS-IV or latest buses. In the pre-bid, the quantity of 1000 buses was bifurcated into 400 BS-IV buses and 600 BS-VI buses but the tender still remained one only and the bidders could have made the bid for the entire quantity of these buses of both types”.

Another irregularity that was found was that M/s TATA Motors Ltd made a bid for 600 buses only. At the same time, JBM made a bid for 1000 buses (400 BS-IV and 600 BS-VI) at a rate higher than Tata Motors. In effect, JBM became the single bidder and therefore, the tender should have been rejected and a fresh tender should have been called by the Tender Committee.

However, the bidding consultant (DIMTS) and the Tender Committee of DTC did not correctly evaluate the financial bids. The Committee declared M/S TATA Motors Ltd eligible for the bid of 600 BS-VI buses.

It was further found that DTC invited M/s JBM for negotiation for BS-IV buses on the basis of rates of TATA which never made any bid for this category. This action of DTC was without any justification and the price negotiation with M/s JBM is violative of GFR and CVC guidelines.

Interestingly, there was a specific requirement of front-facing seats in the RFP but both the Consultant and DTC Tender Committee did not reject JBM’s bid for want of this condition.

The report by the Chief Secretary also brings out clearly that the Committee headed by OP Aggrawal, IAS (Retd.) to look into the charges of irregularities and corruption in the procurement of buses in June 2021, in its report submitted in August 2021, clearly indicted the AAP government for “procedural deviations in the entire tendering and procurement procedure”. Criminal misconduct by public servants in this tender exercise will be ascertained by the investigating agency, i.e. the CBI.

On the basis of this, Chief Secretary recommended referring the matter to CBI, which was approved by the LG.

The Aam Admi Party (AAP) in response to the CBI investigation said, “LG is facing many serious allegations of corruption. To divert attention, he is making such inquiries. All inquiries so far have yielded no results. After making frivolous complaints against three ministers (CM, Dy CM and Health Min), he has now made a complaint against the fourth minister. He should first respond to the allegations of corruption against him”.

“These Buses were never purchased, and tenders were cancelled. Delhi needs a more educated LG. This man has no clue what he is signing on”, said the AAP party. (ANI)