Eviction team heckled as Ajit refuses to vacate bungalow

On Tuesday the RLD leader's supporters succeeded in blocking an attempt to start eviction proceedings against him when eviction officers from the urban development (UD) ministry visited his 12 Tughlaq Road bungalow.

Former civil aviation minister Ajit Singh should get ready to be forced out of his Lutyens' Delhi bungalow soon. On Tuesday the RLD leader's supporters succeeded in blocking an attempt to start eviction proceedings against him when eviction officers from the urban development (UD) ministry visited his 12 Tughlaq Road bungalow.

Singh’s supporter surrounded the bungalow and did not let the team in. They were forced to beat a hasty retreat. But Singh might not get lucky the next time eviction officers come knocking at his door. The UD ministry is determined to move him out quickly. The bungalow has been allotted to sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who is presently living in a guest house.

"On Tuesday Singh’s supporters blocked the way to his house and did not let the eviction team to enter the bungalow. But the team will visit again if Singh does not vacate the bungalow soon," said a source. Ministry officials said that Singh has already been served eviction notice twice to vacate the bungalow after he lost elections and relinquished his ministerial post.

The NDA government has refused to entertain any request for extension, including those from their own former party MPs and ministers. Singh, however, is piqued by the undue haste shown by the government to get bungalows occupied by former ministers vacated.

"I have already taken a house on rent which is getting renovated. Once work is complete I will move out. I have informed the UD ministry but they did not respond," he told HT.

The RLD leader added, "I have been living in this house for the last 36 years. It was allotted to my father Chaudhary Charan Singh. It’s not easy to move out from a bungalow which holds so many memories."

So far of the 61 Lutyens’ bungalows occupied by ex-ministers and MPs, only three occupied by Ajit Singh, Congress’ Jitendra Singh and Mohd Azharuddin remain to be vacated.