'Battle for 24, Akbar Road': Congress heads to court over ‘heritage’ HQ eviction

The Directorate of Estates, under the Union Housing Ministry, has instructed the Congress to vacate two government bungalows — 24 Akbar Road and 5 Raisina Road — by Saturday.

While the Akbar Road premises served as the Congress headquarters for nearly five decades, the Raisina Road bungalow houses the Indian Youth Congress.

The eviction notice comes shortly after Congress inaugurated its new headquarters, Indira Bhavan, located on Kotla Marg near ITO.

Senior Congress leaders have accused the BJP-led Centre of “vendetta politics” and vowed to challenge the decision legally.

“This office is part of Congress’s history. We will not vacate and will fight this legally,” said Pramod Tiwari.

On the other hand, BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra argued that the party should relocate fully, given its new headquarters is operational.

The Congress has also questioned why other l,eaders including Murli Manohar Joshi and Ghulam Nabi Azad, continue to occupy government bungalows.

Why does 24, Akbar Road matter?

For the Congress, 24 Akbar Road is more than just office space — it is a symbol of its political journey.

It once housed British official Reginald Maxwell during the Raj and later served as the residence of Myanmar diplomat Daw Khin Kyi. Her daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi, spent part of her early life there.

The site became central to Congress politics in the late 1970s when Indira Gandhi used it as the base for her faction after the party split post-Emergency.

From this address, Congress celebrated its 1980 comeback, and Rajiv Gandhi assumed leadership after Indira Gandhi’s assassination.

Besides, key coalition-era decisions took place here, including the withdrawal of support to H D Deve Gowda in 1997 and the replacement of Sitaram Kesri by Sonia Gandhi.

The headquarters also witnessed the Congress-led UPA victories in 2004 and 2009 under Manmohan Singh, as well as subsequent electoral defeats.

With eviction looming, Congress is set for a legal battle that could determine whether political legacy can justify continued occupation of government property — even after relocating to a new headquarters.