Four months after resigning as Delhi Chief Minister, Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s search for a house still seems to be on after the latest house, where he was supposed to shift, ran into a controversy. Virender Jain, elder brother of Naren Jain who had offered the AAP leader the house on rent, on Monday claimed that the property was “disputed”.
The elder Jain also threatened to approach the Delhi High Court against what he termed “violation of the status quo”.
Sources in the AAP told The Hindu that if the controversy over the house continues, the AAP leader may shelve his plan to shift to 4B Flagstaff Road and look for another house. Mr. Kejriwal is supposed to shift to the house, which is presently being renovated, by this month-end.
The four-bedroom house is spread over 800 square yards. The house, which is a disputed property among six other siblings of Mr. Naren, has a barsaati and a basement. Jain brothers are sons of late Congressman Bhiku Ram Jain, who was MP from Chandni Chowk constituency in 1980.
“The matter is sub-judice and letting the house on rent will be a violation of the Delhi High Court order which calls for status quo on the property. I am not concerned whether Mr. Kejriwal or somebody else comes and stays in the house. All I know is that the status quo should not be violated,” said the seventy-six-year-old Virender Jain, who is a businessman by profession.
Mr. Naren Jain confirmed that a court case is pending but had a different take on the controversy. “The status quo would not be violated by letting it out… As per the Court order, the status quo gets violated only by creating a third party interest which happens if one sells the house,” he said.
“I agreed to offer the house for some time to Mr. Kejriwal as a guest because this way the house, which was left unused for a while, will be in a better shape. The house has a garden in front as well as the rear,” added Mr. Naren, who is an art curator. Sources in the AAP said Mr. Naren recently joined the party.
He accused his elder brother of falling prey to the pressure of the Congress.
The AAP, however, said it does not want to comment as the party was not aware about any dispute whatsoever. “We do not know if the house concerned is disputed, neither have we been communicated in this regard. It is for the owners of the house to comment on this issue,” said an AAP leader.
Interestingly, Naren Jain claimed the house is in the same compound as the home that once belonged to writer Salman Rushdie. Rushdie’s house is 4, Flagstaff Road while this one is House No. 4B, he said.
