AAP office space allotment: Delhi HC asks Centre to take decision within six weeks
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said the AAP is entitled to space for a party office here like other national political parties and asked the Centre to take a decision on the issue within six weeks.
Justice Subramonium Prasad observed that national political parties have the right to one housing unit from the general pool in Delhi for office use on payment of licence fee until they have acquired land for constructing their own.
"Pressure" or non-availability of a house in the general pool cannot be a reason for rejection of the request, the judge said.
"The fact that there is a huge pressure cannot be the only reason for the Respondents to deny the Petitioner (AAP) its right to be allotted an accommodation from the GPRA for setting up its party office," the court said in its order.
"The Respondents are directed to consider the request of the Petitioner within six weeks from today and take a decision by passing a detailed order as to why even one housing unit from the GPRA (General Pool Residential Accommodation) cannot be allotted to the Petitioner when all other political parties have been allotted similar accommodation from the GPRA.
"Let a detailed order deciding the request of the Petitioner be provided to the Petitioner," it ordered.
If the AAP's representation is rejected by the Centre, the party can take appropriate steps under law, the judge added.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sought allotment of space for its office by the Centre on account of it being recognised as a national party.
It had moved the court last year with two separate petitions seeking a piece of land in the national capital for constructing its offices in view of its improved status as a recognised national party or allotment of a housing unit on licence basis for the time being.
Its petition seeking allotment of land is still pending in the high court.
Considering that the AAP needs to vacate its current office in Rouse Avenue by June 15, the party's counsel had argued that a unit on Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Marg, which is at present with one of its Delhi government ministers, ought to be temporarily allotted to it.
Justice Prasad, however, said the party cannot claim entitlement to the DDU Marg property as it was given to the Delhi government and not the party, and as per record, the possession has to be handed over to the L&DO (Land and Development Office).
The court said while it cannot permit AAP to establish its office at the DDU Marg premises, the fact that it is a national political party cannot be overlooked.
The court also said the dispute between the parties regarding allotment of land to the petitioner party cannot be a reason to deprive it of its entitlement to a housing unit to be used as a temporary office in accordance with the "Consolidated Instructions for allotment of Government Accommodation from General Pool to National and State level Political Parties".
"A perusal of the said Clause indicates that National Political Parties have a right to retain/secure allotment of one housing unit from General Pool in Delhi for their office use on payment of licence fee and the said accommodation will be provided for a period of three years during which the party would acquire a plot of land in an institutional area and will construct its own accommodation for party office," the court noted.
It observed that after being recognised as a national party, the AAP had last year requested for allotment of a housing unit from the pool until a parcel of land is allotted to it for construction of office premises and there is no material on record to show that this request has been rejected.
"This Court can take judicial notice of the fact that there has always been pressure on the pool of house available for allotment to the officers but that pressure has not deterred allotment of houses to other political parties for office purposes in accordance with the Consolidated Instructions for allotment of Government Accommodation from General Pool to National and State level Political Parties," the court said.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led party has said in court that since land has been allotted by the authorities for the construction of office premises to all other national parties in central locations in New Delhi, it is incumbent upon them to ensure that a similar allotment is also made to it in accordance with its entitlement as per the Centre's policy.
Central government lawyer had opposed the petition and said AAP was offered land in Saket area in 2014 for its offices but the same was not accepted and, currently, allotting a housing unit from the pool was not feasible due to acute shortage and the property at DDU Marg also cannot be given to it.
The court said the fact that the party did not accept the plots in Saket for construction of their permanent office as a state party in 2014 or that it has not responded to an offer regarding another plot in that area for construction of its party office as a national party in 2024, is of no consequence and cannot be taken as an argument to deny it a temporary accommodation for a period of three years.
In March, the Supreme Court had granted the AAP time till June 15 to vacate its Rouse Avenue office after noting that the land was allotted to the Delhi High Court for expanding judicial infrastructure.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
