Will BJP’s ‘Sheeshmahal’ be able to stand in front of AAP’s ‘Rajmahal’?
#News Bureau January 8,2025
BJP was planning to make ‘Sheeshmahal’ a big issue in Delhi elections, but AAP has raised the issue of ‘Rajmahal’. Senior AAP leader and MP Sanjay Singh and Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj created a ruckus on Wednesday regarding this. Both the leaders went to CM House and PM House on Wednesday to ‘show the truth’ against BJP’s allegations of corruption in the renovation of CM residence, but police stopped them at both the places.
In fact, dramatic events were seen outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister today, when AAP leaders were going to show the video inside the CM residence on BJP’s ‘Sheeshmahal’ allegations. BJP has accused AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal of spending public money on the luxurious renovation of the bungalow located at 6, Flagstaff Road. Counter-attacking, AAP had said on Tuesday that its leaders will visit the bungalow located at Civil Lines with the media and then go to the Prime Minister’s residence located at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg and show the renovation done there.
When Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bhardwaj reached the bungalow with media persons, the police stopped them citing law and order situation. On this, AAP has said, ‘BJP’s dirty politics has come to the fore again! BJP has been spreading rumors for quite some time that there is a swimming pool and mini bar in the CM residence. Today when Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bhardwaj went with the media to search for the swimming pool and mini bar, BJP’s police and officers are not letting them enter the CM residence.’
Sanjay Singh has said, “Today, by stopping us, BJP has proved that there are cars worth 12 crores each, 5,000 suits, chandeliers worth 200 crores, pens worth lakhs and carpets worth crores in the Prime Minister’s residenc
In a post on X, he said, “BJP got caught in its own trap. BJP sent a huge police force to hide Modi’s palace. Show it to the country – a house worth 2700 crores, 5 thousand shoots, 6700 pairs of shoes, chandeliers worth 200 crores, carpets worth 300 crores, pens worth 10 lakhs each, a plane worth 8400 crores.” Reposting this, Arvind Kejriwal said, “I have heard that there is also a throne in the ‘Rajmahal’ whose price is more than 150 crores.”
Sanjay Singh was heard asking a senior official why the police were stopping him. He also said that stopping him was a violation of the privilege of an MP and a cabinet minister. He said, “Why can’t we be allowed inside? The BJP is spreading misinformation that there is a gold toilet, swimming pool, mini bar, so show it to us and them (media).” He further said, “For just two people, they have deployed water cannons and so many policemen. Are we terrorists? Why are they stopping us? This means that the BJP is lying. We will wait here for 10 minutes, if the BJP is speaking the truth then they should open the door of the Chief Minister’s residence and let us in.” Later, the AAP leader moved towards the Prime Minister’s residence, but he was stopped there too.
The BJP has been constantly raising the ‘Sheeshmahal’ issue. Prime Minister Modi himself had attacked Kejriwal over this a few days ago.
The Prime Minister had said that he falsely alleges that the central government does not give him money and does not allow him to work. He said, “Their Sheeshmahal exposes their lies. A leading newspaper has revealed the expenditure on ‘Sheeshmahal’ on the basis of CAG report.” The Prime Minister alleged that when Delhi was battling Covid-19, their entire focus was on building ‘Sheeshmahal’.
By the way, the work on Prime Minister Modi’s ambitious project Central Vista started during the Covid period, which also includes the PM’s residence. Then questions were constantly raised on the Modi government that when people needed help during the Covid period, why did Prime Minister Modi start a project worth thousands of crores of rupees, whereas there is no such need right now from the new Parliament building to the PM residence and PM
Now, with the announcement of elections in Delhi, it is believed that BJP is going to make ‘Sheeshmahal’ as the main election issue, but AAP has now seized the issue by calling PM residence ‘Rajmahal’ and it is very aggressive.
By the way, the credibility of all three parties, AAP, BJP and Congress, is at stake in the Delhi Assembly elections. AAP has been winning record seats for the last two elections, BJP has been out of power for decades despite performing brilliantly in the Lok Sabha elections and Congress is struggling to regain its lost ground. The credibility of all three parties is at stake so much that it can be called a ‘do or die’ situation for them.
After coming to power in 2013, AAP once described itself as the harbinger of change, but is now facing corruption charges. Kejriwal himself spent about six months in jail after being arrested first by the ED and later by the CBI for his role in the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam. He got bail in September last year. Kejriwal’s colleague and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia also spent over 17 months in jail in the excise policy case. Another former minister Satyendra Jain and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were also arrested and are out on bail.
