The Supreme Court directed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to vacate its offices at Rouse Avenue in New Delhi, which was earmarked for the Delhi judiciary, by 15 June 2024. The Court allowed the AAP to apply to the Land and Development Office (L&DO) of the government of India for alternate land.
The apex court asked the Land And Development Office to process AAP's request and communicate its decision within 4 weeks.
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked AAP to approach Land And Development Office for allotment of land for its offices.
"We would request the L&DO to process the application and communicate its decision within a period of four weeks," the bench said, adding AAP has no lawful right to continue on the land.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the city's ruling party, submitted that AAP is one of the six national parties in the country.
"They are telling us as a national party we get nothing. I'm given Badarpur, while everyone else is in better places," Singhvi said.
"In view of the impending general elections, we gant time until June 15, 2024 to vacate the premises so that land allotted to expand the district judiciary's footprint can be utilised on expeditious basis," the court said.
The top court had earlier directed the Delhi government and the Registrar General of the Delhi High Court to hold a meeting for removal of encroachment by AAP on the land allotted to the HC at Rouse Avenue.
(With PTI inputs)
Also read: TMC MLA Tapas Roy quits party amid buzz of joining BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls
