New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal spent more than ₹ 45 crores ‘beautifying’ his official residence in the Civil Lines area and accused him of extravagant hypocrisy, also demanding his resignation on ‘moral’ grounds.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) reacted sharply issuing rebuttals with videos of crumbling ceilings.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that Kejriwal, who leads the AAP, had betrayed his promise of promoting honesty and simplicity when he entered politics. He called him a "Maharaja," or king, and said he had a "lust for luxury and comfort."
Patra also alleged, without evidence, that Kejriwal had offered ₹ 20 to 50 crores to media houses to suppress the story, but they had declined his offer.
He highlighted documents that showed that Kejriwal's residence had been fitted with expensive Vietnamese marble, pre-fabricated wooden walls and curtains that cost lakhs of rupees each. One curtain alone cost more than ₹ 7.94 lakh, he said.
"This is the story of a shameless king," Patra said at a news conference.
He contrasted Kejriwal's lavish spending with his earlier speeches, in which he had criticised politicians for living in flashy houses and enjoying other facilities at the expense of public. He had also claimed that he was content with a four- or five-room house and did not need a bigger one.
Patra challenged Kejriwal to address a news conference and answer all questions about his residence renovation in the same way that the AAP leader had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify doubts about his educational qualifications.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva also criticised saying that “Kejriwal should tell the people of Delhi with what authority he spent around Rs 45 crore on the beautification of his bungalow when most of the public development works were stalled during the Covid phase".
"It has been established that Kejriwal does not live in a house. He lives in a Sheesh Mahal. Kejriwal should resign from the post of chief minister on moral grounds," he added. The demand for the resignation was echoed by the leader of the opposition in the Delhi assembly, Ramvir Bidhuri.as well.
Kejriwal did not immediately respond to the allegations. His party accused it of hiding the condition of the house Kejriwal was allotted and posted videos showing the dilapidated condition of the Chief Minister's home before renovation.
"Rs 80 crore was spent on the 3-hour visit of friend Donald Trump. The Chief Ministers of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh take aircraft worth ₹ 200 crore for themselves. No channel has the guts to debate this," AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar tweeted.
"Arvind Kejriwal was allotted a bungalow built in 1942, smaller than 1 acre, whose roof fell thrice. Once the roof of his parents' room fell down and once where they held Janata Durbar. The painting/repair of the Lieutenant Governor's bungalow spread over 6 acres is more than the cost of building a house for the Chief Minister of Delhi," she said.
"Sir BJP's media is saying that Arvind Kejriwal ji has built a palace worth 45 crores for himself. You take this palace, and give your poor house to Arvind ji so that the debate can take place on public issues," Kakkar said targeting Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, the representative of the BJP-led government at the centre to the capital's administration.
AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the controversy had been stoked to distract people from real issues. "The Prime Minister, who calls himself a fakir, is getting a house built for himself with ₹ 500 crore. ₹ 90 crore was spent in renovating the house where he is living now," he said.