In Delhi, it’s ‘sheeshmahal’ vs ‘rajmahal’

A political war over former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence, infamously called by rival parties as ‘sheeshmahal’, has escalated with AAP leaders now terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bungalow ‘rajmahal’.

AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bhardwaj today reached the 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow, which once was residence of AAP convener Kejriwal when he was the Chief Minister of Delhi. The AAP leaders wanted to show to the public “on camera” that there were no luxuries inside the house as claimed by the BJP.

However, the police did not allow them to enter the house following which they sat on a dharna and also got into a heated argument with police personnel deployed there.

“For months, BJP leaders have been claiming that the Chief Minister’s residence has a golden toilet, a swimming pool and a mini bar. Today, I brought the media here, along with our minister Saurabh Bhardwaj. We invited the fourth pillar of democracy — the media — to see for themselves where this golden toilet, mini bar and swimming pool were. But instead of transparency, we were met with water cannons and a heavy police presence. Why are we being stopped? This proves that the BJP is lying,” Sanjay Singh said.

Later, the AAP leaders headed to the PM’s residence with the media but were stopped by the police.

To counter the BJP’s blistering attack on terming the CM’s residence ‘sheeshmahal’, AAP has now begun calling the PM’s bungalow as “rajmahal”. “I have heard that there is a throne in the ‘rajmahal’ which is worth over Rs 150 crore,” Kejriwal posted on X.

Meanwhile, BJP’s national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi questioned AAP leaders’ actions and accused them of exploiting government resources for personal gain.

“The events and the crude display by AAP leaders today cannot conceal the truth. No matter how much they try, they cannot protect the ‘sheeshmahal’, which stands as a symbol of Kejriwal’s luxury and a museum of his indulgence,” Trivedi said in a presser.