Never Wanted to Live at Janpath Bungalow Permanently, Disappointed with Manner of Eviction: Chirag Paswan

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan on Thursday expressed his disappointment with the manner in which his family has been evicted from their Janpath bungalow by the government, noting that he has not been given any alternative official residence which he is entitled as a second-term member of Parliament. He visited the residence, where eviction exercise by the urban development ministry began on Wednesday, and paid his respects to the bust of his late father Ram Vilas Paswan.

Speaking to reporters later, Chirag Paswan asserted that he respected rules and lawful process and never demanded that his family should be allowed to stay in the house permanently. "We had to vacate this sooner or later. I do, however, slightly object to the way it has been done," he said. The ministerial bungalow was allotted in 1990 to his father, a stalwart Dalit leader who was a minister for much of the period till his death in 2020.

Chirag Paswan said his family had been staying there after being given extension. "My family full respects the lawful process. One cannot forcibly keep a place if he is not entitled to it. Surely, I am disappointed with the manner in which it (eviction) was done. I am a second term MP, and I should have been given an alternative accommodation," the Jamui MP said.

He said he has as of now no government accommodation and has shifted to his grandmother's house in the national capital. Striking an emotional note, he said his father's memories are attached with the bungalow and added that nearly 100 people associated with the LJP founder had been living there. "I will try my best to help them," he said, while again underlining his disappointment with the "sudden" eviction process.

The government on Wednesday started the process of evicting the family of late Ram Vilas Paswan from the 12 Janpath bungalow that was allotted to him in 1990, with several trucks carrying furniture and other household goods seen driving out of the accommodation. The Directorate of Estates, which comes under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, sent a team of officials to execute an eviction order issued to the late minister's son Chirag Paswan, officials had said.

The 12 Janpath bungalow is earmarked for Union ministers and the occupants of the government accommodation have been asked to vacate it.

Read all the Latest Politics News and Breaking News here