New Delhi: The Indian National Congress has received an eviction notice asking it to vacate its long standing office at 24 Akbar Road, a property the party has occupied since 1978 and which has long served as a key symbol of its presence in the national capital.
Party officials said the notice directs the organisation to vacate the premises by March 28. A similar notice has also been issued for the office of the Indian Youth Congress located at 5 Raisina Road, with the same deadline for vacating the property.
Congress leaders indicated that the party is likely to challenge the notices through legal channels to prevent any forced eviction. Senior leader and Member of Parliament Abhishek Manu Singhvi criticised the move, describing it as illegal and politically motivated. He stated that the party would explore all available legal remedies against the notices.
Although the party has already moved much of its official work to its new headquarters, Indira Bhavan near the ITO area in the capital, it had continued to retain the Akbar Road property because of its historical and symbolic importance.
Party functionaries noted that the Akbar Road office has long been associated with the organisation’s political activities in New Delhi and represents an important part of its legacy. They also maintained that the Congress has been paying market rent for the government bungalow during its occupation.
According to party leaders, attempts were made after the 2024 Indian General Election to have the property allotted to a senior Congress Member of Parliament, but the proposal did not move forward. They also said that the Raisina Road bungalow had earlier been allotted in the party’s name for use by its youth wing.
The development has added a fresh political dimension to the dispute, with the party preparing to contest the eviction notices through legal proceedings.
