Centre Orders Congress to Vacate Akbar Road HQ, Raisina Road Premises
Centre Orders Congress to Vacate Akbar Road HQ, Raisina Road Premises
Centre issues eviction notices for Congress offices in Delhi, prompting a potential legal challenge as party shifts base and prepares counter-strategy.
The Centre has issued notices demanding that the Congress vacate its historic 24, Akbar Road headquarters and the 5, Raisina Road premises where Youth Congress operates, with a deadline of March 28. The notices, served in mid-March by the Estate Department under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, come as the party has already moved its new headquarters to Indira Bhavan on Kotla Marg. 24, Akbar Road has been the Congress’ address since January 1978, marking nearly five decades of political history at that site. The party has said it is formulating a strategy to respond and is keeping options open for a court challenge.
A two-member Congress delegation led by G.S. Sappal, in-charge of Administration, met Urban Development Minister M.L. Khattar to discuss the notices. Congress sources claimed they have been paying market rent for 24, Akbar Road and that there were attempts to allocate the bungalow to a party MP, which did not materialise. The party’s stance contrasts with the BJP’s emphasis on policy uniformity, with voices urging the Congress to shed a sense of entitlement while noting that other parties have shifted offices in the past.
Responding to the eviction move, Congress leaders have framed it as politically motivated, arguing it is an attempt to silence the party. BJP spokespersons have countered by urging adherence to government norms, pointing to precedents of office relocations from Lutyens’ Delhi to other government office areas. The issue has attracted broader attention as it underscores the ongoing realignment of political spaces in Delhi and raises questions about how parties manage their physical headquarters amid shifting political strategies.
