Consider Sharad Yadav's plea to retain bungalow on humanitarian grounds: SC to Centre

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal submitted that the appeal filed challenging his disqualification is still pending before HC

The Supreme Court Monday asked the Centre to consider, on humanitarian grounds, a plea by former union minister Sharad Yadav against an order to vacate a government bungalow within 15 days as he was on a ventilator and had to undergo dialysis every day.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Yadav, submitted before a bench presided over by Justice D Y Chandrachud that the appeal filed challenging disqualification is still pending before the High Court.

“Anyway my term ends in July. So, I will give an undertaking that he will vacate once the term is over. He was on a ventilator. He had to go for dialysis every day. He couldn’t even move," Sibal said.

The Delhi High Court had on March 15 noted that Yadav was disqualified as a Rajya Sabha MP in 2017 and hence cannot retain the official residence at 7, Tughlak Road. Yadav is now 75-years-old.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for the Centre, said the government is facing a shortage of houses for MPs and ministers, which turned more acute after the expansion of the Cabinet.

"We are not on the politics of it or violation of whip etc, but thinking of some way out on purely humanitarian grounds based on his medical condition,” the bench said. "Tell us a reasonable time by which you can vacate. We will adjourn the hearing," the bench told Sibal.

The bench asked Jain to take instructions from the government and consider the matter, fixing the matter for further hearing later in the week.

Yadav, in his plea, contended that he has been residing there for 22 years and the high court had passed the order even though his challenge to his "improper and erroneous disqualification" has not been decided by the court. His case "deserved sympathetic treatment" on account of his ill health too, he said.

Check out DH's latest videos