The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday engaged in a war of words over Delhi government spending around ₹44.78 crore on refurbishing the official residence of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal between 2020 and 2022, with the money going on imported marble, plush interiors, electrical fixtures, and high-end kitchen equipment.
In a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said Kejriwal had claimed in an affidavit in 2013 that he would not enjoy the luxuries, but was spending ₹45 crore on his residence when people in Delhi were dying due to Covid, and is now living like a king even though he touts his common man status.
A group of Delhi BJP leaders including Kuljeet Chahal, former Union minister Vijay Goel and others protested outside CM’s residence over the issue on Wednesday. Many of these leaders were later detained by the Delhi police.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh hit back at the BJP, and said the renovation was necessitated because the CM’s residence was constructed 80 years ago and there have been three incidents of parts of roof collapsing in the house after which the Public Works Department (PWD) , the agency responsible for the maintenance of the bungalow, recommended rebuilding the CM’s residence.
“One roof of the room where Kejriwal’s parents were staying caved in, then the same thing happened in Kejriwal’s room and the room where Kejriwal met people,” said Sanjay Singh.
The AAP MP claimed that while the CM’s residence was rebuilding costs ₹45 crore, only the repair of Delhi LG’s residence has cost ₹15 crore, and PM Narendra Modi’s residence renovation ₹90 crores.
Referring to Patra’s press conference, Singh said: “He may have forgotten that during Corona, PM Modi was campaigning in West Bengal and spreading Coronavirus. PM Modi who claims to be a poor man is constructing a residence for himself at ₹500 crore, he purchased plane for himself at ₹8,400 crore during Covid. These are not issues. We all know that these issues have been raised to divert attention from issues like Adani, Pulwama”.
BJP’s Kuljeet Chahal said the BJP leaders protested near CM’s residence over the issue. “We want answers from Kejriwal over the extravagant spending. Unless he responds we will continue to raise a voice against the issue,” Chahal said.
Meanwhile, Patra shared the details of the renovation spend at CM’s residence. “There are different stories of the curtains, tiles, fittings etc. There are orders for 23 curtains — the costliest was of ₹8 lakh and the cheapest of ₹3 lakhs. I have a strange feeling that I am doing a press conference on curtains. Marble has been imported from Vietnam on a special order and so far the marbles are worth it ₹1.15 crore have been fitted. Around ₹5 crores have been spent for pre-fabricated wooden walls. And remember, his MLAs came in autorickshaws during the oath-taking saying that they don’t have cars,” Patra said.
In a statement, the AAP has contested the BJP leaders’ claims. “The house was in a dilapidated condition, having been built 80 years ago in 1942. After three serious incidents, which included the ceiling of the CM’s parents’ room falling, the ceiling of the CM’s bedroom collapsing, and the office ceiling collapsing, the Public Works Department recommended the construction of a new house,” the AAP said.