Congress Gets Eviction Notices for Akbar Road HQ in Delhi
Congress Gets Eviction Notices for Akbar Road HQ in Delhi
Centre serves eviction notices to vacate 24 Akbar Road and Raisina Road Youth Congress offices by March 28, prompting legal options and strategy talks.
The Centre has issued eviction notices to the Congress party to vacate its long-time headquarters at 24, Akbar Road and the Youth Congress premises at 5, Raisina Road, with a deadline of March 28. The notices, served in mid-March by the Estate Department under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, indicate that the party’s current offices are not eligible to continue occupying those premises. The party has already shifted its new headquarters to Indira Bhavan on Kotla Marg, saying it will no longer hold on to the older sites while stressing that the government should apply rules uniformly.
Congress sources say the party is formulating a strategy to counter the notices and is keeping options open, including taking the matter to court. A two-member Congress delegation led by G.S. Sappal, in-charge of Administration, met Urban Development Minister M.L. Khattar to discuss the situation and explore avenues for a resolution. The party notes that it has been paying market rent for 24, Akbar Road and had explored the possibility of having the bungalow allocated to a party MP, but those plans did not materialise.
The eviction move comes as part of broader shifts in how party offices are housed in Delhi, with reference to relocating from traditional Lutyens’ districts to newer premises such as DDU Marg or Rouse Avenue. In political commentary, Congress leaders have argued that the government should treat all parties the same, while some BJP spokespeople have pointed to past policies that encouraged parties to relocate their offices. The iconic 24, Akbar Road address has housed the Congress since January 1978, a fact underscoring the significance of the space in the party’s organizational history.
As the March 28 deadline approaches, the Congress is weighing legal options and preparation for what could be a protracted dispute, while party workers continue to operate from the new Indira Bhavan campus and other leased spaces. The episode underscores ongoing tensions over party property and the mechanics of political space in the national capital.
