New Delhi: On the day the first phase of assembly elections kicked off in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) raked up a social media storm Thursday over an RTI reply on how Congress president Sonia Gandhi has not paid rent of 10 Janpath, her official accommodation in Lutyens’ Delhi, for the last 17 months.
According to the reply by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry to the RTI query filed by activist Sujit Patel, the Congress has also failed to clear the dues of two other government bungalows allotted to it — 26 Akbar Road, housing the party’s frontal wing Sewa Dal, and C-II/109 Chanakyapuri, allotted to Vincent George, a close aide of Gandhi — from December 2012 and August 2013 onward, respectively.
The ruckus started after some BJP workers came across Patel’s RTI and started circulating it on social media. Soon, BJP leaders including the party’s IT cell head Amit Malviya started tweeting about it.
Sonia Gandhi made a big deal about paying for tickets of migrant workers.
Turns out she has not paid her own house rent for one and a half year! pic.twitter.com/w5iKoTy7TH
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 10, 2022
BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga took a jibe at the Congress leader. He tweeted to say he has launched a campaign to send funds to Gandhi.
“Sonia Gandhi ji not able to pay her rent after losing elections. It is obvious because she can’t do scams now but political differences aside I want to help her as a human being. I launched a campaign #SoniaGandhiReliefFund and sent ₹ 10 to her account, I request everyone to help her,” he said.
Sonia Gandhi ji Not able to pay her rent after losing elections. Its obvious bcz she can't do scams now but political differences aside i want to help her as a Human being. I launched a campaign #SoniaGandhiReliefFund & sent 10 Rs. to her account, I request everyone to help her pic.twitter.com/H0yQJfY5VB
— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) February 10, 2022
While the monthly dues of Gandhi’s Type VIII bungalow at 10 Janpath are Rs 4,610, the monthly charges for the 26 Akbar Road bungalow and the Chanakyapuri bungalow are Rs 12 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively.
Gandhi owes the Directorate of Estate (DoE), which comes under the housing ministry and is responsible for allotting government accommodation to ministers, MPs and senior government officials, over Rs 78,000 since September 2020.
Gandhi has been living in 10 Janpath bungalow for nearly three decades now. It was allotted to her husband, former PM Rajiv Gandhi in 1990. After his death, the bungalow was allotted to her.
ThePrint reached Congress spokesperson Pranav Jha but he refused to comment.
The Print also reached the housing ministry spokesperson who said he will reply after checking the details. The report will be updated once he responds.
Sources in the housing ministry said that MPs who are allotted bungalows by the DoE have to pay a flat license fee of Rs 4,610 every month. While in many cases, depending on the category under which the bungalow is allotted, the license fee is deducted directly from the MPs’ salary, in some cases MPs pay the charges themselves. Gandhi comes in the second group and pays the charge herself.
Sources in the ministry told ThePrint that an unnecessary ruckus is being created over the issue. “It’s nothing new. Many MPs in whose case the license fee is not detected from their salary, they prefer to pay a lump sum fee of one or two years at a time instead of paying every month. It’s not a big deal,” the source said.
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26 Akbar Road bungalow allotment was cancelled in 2015
In 2015, the Modi government had cancelled the allotment of 26 Akbar Road bungalow along with the Chanakyapuri bungalow and 24 Akbar Road, which houses the AICC headquarters.
The Congress requested a stay extension for 24 Akbar Road bungalow till its new office at Rouse Avenue is completed. The ministry agreed with a rider that the party will have to pay a penal rate of rent, which is equal to the market rate for overstaying. The Congress was allotted an 8,000 square metre plot of land at Rouse Avenue in 2010 to build its new party office.
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