The Delhi Chief Minister's official residence located on Civil Lines has reportedly undergone a renovation worth nearly Rs 45 crore, according to a report by Times Now. The news has caused a stir, with reactions from several BJP leaders flooding in, some even demanding Kejriwal's resignation from the post of Delhi CM.
The report, titled "Operation Sheeshmahal," claims that a whopping Rs 44.78 crore of taxpayers' money was spent on refurbishing the CM's official bungalow. The news has raised questions about the Aam Aadmi Party's austerity talks, given Kejriwal's image as a "common man" politician.
Reacting to the news, Vishnu Vardha Rajan, Andhra Pradesh BJP state general secretary, slammed Kejriwal, taking a dig at his 'common man' image portrayal. He questioned, "Mr @ArvindKejriwal, who came to politics in the name of 'common man,' spent Rs 44.78 crore of public's hard-earned money on the renovation of his house for his luxury. COMMON MAN OR 'CON MAN'?"
Uttarakhand BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga went even further, calling the Delhi CM a thief. He alleged that Kejriwal imported marble worth Rs 3.5 crore for his 'palace' from Vietnam using government funds.
According to the documents accessed by the channel, the curtains at Kejriwal's residence cost approximately Rs 5-8 lakh per piece. The documents showed that 23 curtains, with a cost of Rs 97 lakhs, were cleared for Delhi CM and AAP national convenor's residence. The marble used in the renovation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence was imported from Vietnam at a cost of Rs 3 crores. The superior quality 'Deor Pearl Marble' was used for the renovation of the floors. Additionally, Rs 21,60,000 was spent on the chemical used to fix the marble. The documents showed that Rs 40 lakhs were spent on the six almirahs fixed at the official residence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Total expenditure that was made on the renovation of two kitchens at Arvind Kejriwal's official residence was approximately Rs 63 lakhs.
Furthermore, six carpets were bought for Rs 19,89,000 to be used at CM Kejriwal's official residence. BJP leader Nalin Kohli slammed the AAP chief, stating that Arvind Kejriwal is a pathological liar who says one thing today and does exactly the opposite tomorrow.
It may be recalled that Arvind Kejriwal, in 2013, had announced that neither he nor any of his AAP ministers would move to the bungalows provided by the government and insisted that they would be allotted smaller government flats.
The news has caused uproar, with many people questioning Kejriwal's commitment to his image as a "common man" politician. The allegations of misusing public funds for personal luxury have raised serious concerns about transparency and accountability in government spending.