Congress Under Pressure: Must Vacate Historic Headquarters Amidst Political Tensions

The Congress party has been ordered to vacate its long-standing headquarters at 24 Akbar Road by March 28. Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the Modi government for its unexpected changes to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, accusing it of diverting attention from other national pressing issues.

On Wednesday, the Estate Department issued a notice to the Congress party to vacate its office at 24 Akbar Road by March 28, sources from within the party revealed. The iconic Akbar Road bungalow has served as the Congress headquarters for 48 years.

Although the opposition party inaugurated a new office, Indira Bhavan, on Kotla Marg last year, the Akbar Road premises have remained active with ongoing party activities. Earlier Wednesday, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh launched a scathing critique of the Narendra Modi administration over intentions to amend the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, accusing the government of a strategic 'U-turn' and wielding women's reservation as a 'Weapon of Mass Diversion' to sideline national issues like foreign policy challenges and the energy crisis amid the escalating West Asia conflict.

In a social media post, Ramesh recalled that the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, enacted in 2023 to secure one-third reservation for women in legislative bodies, was contingent on completing a census and delimitation. The Congress had demanded its immediate effect for the 2024 elections, a request rebuffed by the government, which prioritized census and delimitation first. Ramesh criticized the government's sudden shift in stance, calling it a 'mind change' by the 'U-turn Ustad,' for proposing to implement the reservations without completing the requisite preconditions.