New Delhi: The BJP has alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal spent Rs 45 crore to renovate his government bungalow amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), however, defended the renovation, saying the bungalow was 80 years old, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent Rs 90 crore to renovate his official residence during the same time.
The BJP made its allegations under what it termed ‘Operation Sheesh Mahal’, referring to Kejriwal as “maharaj (king)”.
“It is the same maharaj who used to say ‘I won’t take the government house, car or anything’,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference at the party headquarters Wednesday. “This is a story of that maharaj”s mental transformation. In 2013, he signed an affidavit that he won’t take extra security, a red beacon car, or a big bungalow.”
Media reports, Patra said, have claimed that Kejriwal spent Rs 45 crore to renovate his government bungalow at Civil Lines.
In 2013, before the Delhi elections, all the AAP leaders had submitted an affidavit for austerity, pledging to live like the common man, and shunning VIP symbols.
According to a PTI report, senior Delhi Congress leader Ajay Maken also criticised Kejriwal over the renovation exercise, and questioned his right to remain in his position as a public servant.
ThePrint reached AAP national spokesperson and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj for a comment over the allegations but hadn’t received any response till the time of publication.
However, AAP MP Sanjay Singh held a press conference, where he attacked PM Modi for holding a rally in West Bengal ahead of the 2021 assembly elections, as the second Covid wave had begun to engulf India. He also alleged that the PM spent a huge amount of money on various projects during the pandemic, including Central Vista and the renovation of PM’s residence.
कोरोना महामारी में फ़र्ज़ी फकीर की रईसी-
Central Vista: 23000 Crore
PM निवास: 500 Cr
मौजूदा निवास की मरम्मत: 90 Cr
जहाज: 8400 Cr
Car: 12 Cr
Pen: 1.25 Lakh
Suit: 10 Lakh
Sunglass: 1.6 Lakh
जब देश कोरोना से जूझ रहा था PM Modi Bengal में रैली कर Corona फैला रहे थे
–@SanjayAzadSln pic.twitter.com/0yx5YG5ues
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) April 26, 2023
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BJP’s allegations, AAP’s defence
At the press conference, BJP leader Patra showed documents that purportedly showed the expenses made for the renovation of Kejriwal’s official bungalow. These allegedly included imported tiles, ornamental flooring, and crores spent on kitchen renovation.
Patra alleged an order for 23 curtains was passed, out of which 8 curtains had already been put up and the cost of each curtain “ranged between Rs 3.6 lakh and Rs 7.9 lakh”.
“Kejriwal was known for using a muffler and an old car for commuting, and even his ministers came in autos for his oath ceremony. I wonder where is that old WagonR car now,” Patra asked.
He further alleged that more than Rs 1.15 crore was spent on marble imported from Vietnam “on special order”, and about Rs 4.37 crore on pre-fabricated wooden walls.
He alleged that the money for these renovations was allegedly sanctioned during the second wave of Covid when Delhi was “struggling for oxygen cylinders, beds and treatment”. About Rs 7 crore was sanctioned on 1 September 2020, Patra said, adding that around Rs 1 crore was sanctioned on 8 June 2021, Rs 9 crore on 22 October 2021, and Rs 5 crore on 30 December 2021. Another Rs 9 crore was sanctioned on 29 December 2020.
The BJP has also alleged that Kejriwal called prominent editors and asked them not to publish the details of the expenses, and even offered money to suppress the information.
Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha defended the renovation, saying that the CM bungalow was built in 1942 and “needed renovation”, according to reports. He also said that the renovation work took place after an audit by the Public Works Department (PWD).
In 2020, the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) — the statutory body for maintaining aesthetics and environmental designs in Delhi — had raised objections to the Delhi government’s plans to renovate the CM’s bungalow, according to reports.
Rejecting the PWD proposal, the DUAC had said that the department had described the project as “addition and alteration” while an “entirely new building was being proposed after completely demolishing the… structure”.
(Edited by Anumeha Saxena)
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