AAP office allocation: Delhi HC sets July 25 deadline for Centre, refuses to give further extension

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted the Centre an extension until July 25 to decide on allocating office space to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), recognizing its status as a national party. The court previously gave the Centre six weeks to arrive at a decision regarding the same. 

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' Directorate of Estates sought four more weeks to comply with the court's direction. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said it was occupied with the "mammoth task" of allocating official residences to MPs, newswire PTI reported. Replying to this, the Delhi HC said "pressure" or non-availability of a house in the general pool cannot be a reason for rejection of the request.

Meanwhile, the AAP said the top court granted the Centre time till August 10 to vacate their current Rouse Avenue office before the six-week deadline expired. Initially given until June 15 to vacate, this was extended due to the land being allocated for judicial infrastructure by the Delhi High Court.

The AAP also argued against further delays, citing previous deadlines set by the Supreme Court related to vacating its current office. The High Court, however, emphasized national parties have a right to office space in Delhi and urged the Centre to act promptly. 

The senior counsel criticized the Centre for seeking further delay without indicating inability to comply with the Delhi High Court's office space allocation direction before the Supreme Court. 

"Tomorrow is the last date when the order completes six weeks... You chose not to come before this court. What is the purpose to come at the fag end? If you don't want to give, what is stopping them from giving a reasoned order that you don't want to give,"  Justice Sanjeev Narula noted. 

Instead, the court extended the deadline to July 25, 2024, expecting no more extension requests.
On June 5, the high court said that the AAP should be granted office space in Delhi similar to other national political parties. 

The court noted that national political parties have the right to obtain one housing unit from the general pool in Delhi for office use, paying a licence fee until they acquire land for their own accommodation.  

Last year, the AAP approached the high court with two separate petitions: one seeking land in the national capital for constructing offices and the other requesting a housing unit on a licence basis.