New Delhi, June 2(HS): The Supreme Court has asked the Rajasthan government to respond within six weeks to a petition challenging the Rajasthan High Court's decision concerning the old assembly building (Town Hall) in Jaipur. The bench, led by Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, declined to intervene in the High Court's ruling. The former Ashok Gehlot government aimed to convert the old assembly into a heritage museum, a move contested by Rajmata Padmini Devi in civil court. She argued that the building's use for heritage tourism breaches a 1949 agreement, which restricts its use to official purposes.

During the proceedings, advocate Shivmangal Sharma, representing the government, suggested waiting for the state's input before further hearings. Senior advocate Harish Salve, for the petitioner, asserted that the dispute is about ownership rights and noted that the property was entrusted to the state solely for official use per the 1940 agreement. Sharma countered, claiming the case involves agreements predating the Constitution, giving the court no jurisdiction under Article 363.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar