THE GREAT INDIAN VACATION: HOW POLITICIANS WERE FORCED OUT OF GOVT HOUSES

Nearly 500 leaders have been forced out of their Lutyens bungalows in the last four years, including the sons of two former Prime Ministers.

While 429 former ministers and MPs were sent notices to vacate, only 44 complied. Eviction orders had to be issued against 380 of them.

However, a small group of 37 stayed put. They included the sons of former Prime Ministers Chandra Shekhar and Charan Singh. Neeraj Shekhar and Ajit Singh had to be locked out of their houses, their belongings emptied out on the lawns.

Ajit Singh convened a ‘Mahapanchayat’ at 12 Tughlaq Road, his government-allocated house, and Jats from western Uttar Pradesh owing allegiance to Rashtriya Lok Dal and Bharatiya Kisan Union were invited to join the meeting. The meeting was specifically called to pass a resolution to declare 12 Tughlaq Road as a memorial in the name of Former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh. RLD

supporters and BKU activists demonstrated at Murad Nagar water treatment plant that caters water to East Delhi’s Sonia Vihar plant against the disconnection of water and power connection to the bungalow. However, he had to eventually vacate.

Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad was convicted in the fodder scam in September 2013 and automatically lost his Parliament seat. In November that year, the allocation of a bungalow was cancelled. But the outgoing Congress-led government allowed him to retain the bungalow for a year from the date of cancellation. The BJP-led government issued an eviction order in November 2014. Prasad sought an extension, citing health reasons such as the six-hour cardiac surgery he had undergone. But that was to no avail and he had to vacate.

Former Home Minister Buta Singh and others went to court against the direction to vacate their residence but lost the case.