Udit Raj alleges authorities forcibly evicted his family from Pandara Park bungalow.
Eviction occurred despite a court hearing scheduled for 28 October.
Raj claims action was selective and targeted, highlighting caste-based bias.
Congress leader and former MP Udit Raj has alleged that authorities forcibly evicted his family from their Pandara Park bungalow in New Delhi on Friday, even though the matter is still sub-judice. According to PTI, there was no immediate response from the government regarding the eviction.
The bungalow is allotted to Raj’s wife, Seema Raj, a retired IRS officer, who stated that she had paid the licence fee up to 31 May this year. Speaking to PTI, Udit Raj said, “You can see the belongings being thrown out of the house. The matter is sub-judice, and the next hearing is on 28 October. What difference would three or four more days make?”
He added that while he would abide by the court’s decision, the eviction amounted to “harassment” and was “punishment” for being Dalit and a voice for the poor. Raj alleged the action was “selective” and “motivated,” targeting a lower-caste opposition leader, while “many upper-caste individuals continue to occupy government bungalows.”
Raj said he attempted to contact Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar but was unable to reach him. “No higher official is available on call. Nobody is telling me anything,” he said, describing the eviction as an “atrocity” and noting he would raise the matter with his party leadership.
Sharing a video on X, he wrote, “My household items are being thrown onto the street.” Seema Raj said she had requested time until the end of November or early December to wind up her affairs and arrange alternative accommodation.
According to PTI, the retired officer explained that a superannuated official can retain government accommodation for six months without difficulty. She said she had requested an extension after that period because her father was critically ill, and he has recently passed away.
Seema Raj alleged that the eviction notice was issued even though a court hearing was scheduled shortly after. “They came to evict us during a court holiday so that we can't go to court and take legal recourse,” she said.
On Thursday, Udit Raj had informed on X that officers from the Directorate of Estates had visited his residence to notify them of the eviction scheduled for Friday. Raj, who represented North West Delhi in the Lok Sabha from 2014 to 2019 as a BJP MP before joining the Congress, said he was willing to vacate soon but questioned the urgency. “Why is the same yardstick not applied to others who are overstaying? I will not budge from my fight for social justice,” he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
