New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed former BJP lawmaker Subramanian Swamy to vacate the government-provided residence in the national capital within a period of six weeks.
The court refused the relief sought by Swamy in a plea that he should be allowed to remain in the government accommodation allotted to him in 2016. The court directed Swamy to "ensure that the possession in question is handed over to the estate officer concerned within a period of six weeks from today".
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The ruling came after Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain, who appeared for the Centre, said the government is not obligated to provide an official accommodation to those under security cover. Swamy, who is under Z category security cover, was allotted the accommodation on January 15, 2016, for a period of five years. In April of that year, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha, which allowed him to remain in the government house till the end of his six-year term.
Swamy's tenure in the Parliament's Upper House ended on April 24, 2022, and he was not nominated for another term by the Centre-ruling BJP. With the end of his parliamentary term, Swamy had to vacate the official residence, as per the rules. He had, however, moved the high court, pointing out that the accommodation was given to him due to the security threat perception.
