Shifting in progress at the Delhi house. Picture by Ramakant Kushwaha

New Delhi, Nov. 15: Under attack from the Supreme Court for being an unauthorised occupant of a government house in Delhi, Bihar governor Buta Singh has vacated the bungalow.

Using harsh language against the Bihar governor, a bench of the apex court had last month asked the government to “throw him out” of the house.

“Buta Singh is governor of Bihar. What is he doing here? How can he be occupying a house here. Throw him out,” the bench of Justices B.N Agarwal and A.K Mathur had said on October 24.

The Supreme Court took strong exception to several politicians overstaying on government premises in violation of rules and regulations.

The list included veteran CPM leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rajnath Singh, three general secretaries of the Congress and the leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Jaswant Singh.

Buta vacated the 9 Lodhi Estate house yesterday and formally handed it over to authorities. Some of the household items were taken out today.

The government had submitted two lists with 465 names of VIP defaulters. The first list included those who were staying illegally and the other gave names of dignitaries who were living in houses bigger than their entitlement.

At least 36 people on the lists were at one time either minister or member of Parliament but had not moved out of their government houses.

Buta was singled out as his name figured on top of the list submitted before the bench.

The sharp comments by the court had added to the troubles of Buta, who was already under attack from the Opposition over his recommendation to dissolve the hung Bihar Assembly.

Buta’s move to vacate the Delhi house comes a few days after the Prime Minister expressed displeasure in public about the governor’s role, fuelling speculation that he could be removed or shifted.

The apex court had also come down heavily on the government for failing to secure houses from the illegal occupants.

The court said the law for eviction had proved to be an utter failure and persons who laid down the law were themselves flouting it.