New Delhi, July 3 The ruling party and the opposition have been at loggerheads ever since the central government ordered Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to vacate the government bungalow allotted to her in New Delhi. The Congress is accusing the government of adopting double standards with regard to the Gandhi family. In such a situation, the government has issued a clarification.
The government said that on the basis of the Public Premises Amendment Bill 2019, Priyanka has been ordered to vacate the government bungalow. This amended law came into force in September 2019.
It has also been said by the government that accommodation is provided for a specified period to those who are in public service. According to this rule, government accommodation cannot be allotted on the basis of security other than to those who are SPG protected. Priyanka had been getting SPG protection since 1997, so she was allotted government accommodation. But now she is not getting SPG protection.
On giving government accommodation to senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, the Centre has said that the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation has decided to give Advani and Joshi government accommodation as an exception based on security threat perception. Based on this rule, Advani can live in a government bungalow for his lifetime, while Joshi is entitled to a government bungalow till June 25, 2022.
Advani and Joshi have got government accommodation on the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs on the basis of threat perception. Both of them also have Z-plus security.
The Urban Housing Ministry has asked Priyanka to vacate the Lodhi Road government bungalow within a month or by August 1. Besides, she has also been asked to pay the outstanding rent of Rs 3.46 lakh for the bungalow. The Ministry has said in the notice that due to withdrawal of SPG security, she cannot live in a government bungalow now as per the rule.
In an official release, the Ministry has said that if she does not vacate the bungalow in a month, she will have to pay a fine.
( With inputs from IANS )