AAP Leaders, Media Prevented from Entering “Sheesh Mahal” for Reality Check

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Jan 8: Even as the BJP kept accusing the former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of having built a luxurious “Sheesh Mahal” for his stay at the cost of public exchequer, the Centre-government controlled Delhi police on Wednesday prevented the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and the media from entering the now-vacant chief minister’s official residence for a reality check.

Dramatic scenes played out outside the Delhi Chief Minister’s official residence when the AAP leaders reached there to “show the truth” about BJP’s “Sheesh Mahal” charge. Police set up barricades and deployed personnel in front of the 6, Flagstaff Road, bungalow, preventing the AAP leaders from entering the premises.

The AAP leaders invited the media on a tour of the Chief Minister’s residence, which the BJP claims was turned into a “Sheesh Mahal” during Arvind Kejriwal’s tenure. Determined to score big in the upcoming Delhi election, the BJP has accused Mr Kejriwal of spending public money on a luxurious upgrade of the bungalow on 6, Flagstaff Road.

The Delhi Chief Minister’s official residence has been vacant since Mr Kejriwal stepped down after being granted bail in a corruption case linked to the now-scrapped liquor policy. The AAP leader has said he would return to the top job only after the “people’s court” verdict.

The BJP has been targeting the AAP with ‘Sheesh Mahal’ jabs and a CAG report has given it fresh ammo. The report, filed by Girish Chandra Murmu who retired in November, pointed to a four-fold jump between budgeting for the renovation and the final cost.

Leading the BJP charge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, “You will be shocked to know that when Delhi residents were fighting Covid, wandering in search of oxygen and medicines, their (AAP) focus was on the building Sheesh Mahal.”

The AAP on Wednesday organised a media tour of the 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow for checking on the BJP allegations of upgradation of the bungalow at tax payer’s money and told the media also to tour the Prime Minister’s residence on the Lok Kalyan Marg which AAP has dubbed “Raj Mahal” and claimed was built at a cost of ₹2,700 crores from the public exchequer. “BJP is spreading misinformation about the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence. The Prime Minister’s palace worth Rs 2,700 crore is also in Delhi. We will go to the Chief Minister’s residence and then the Prime Minister’s to expose your lies,” the AAP had said on Tuesday.

To turn the tables, AAP said its leaders would visit the Civil Lines bungalow with the media and then head to the Prime Minister’s residence on 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, to show the revamp there. When AAP MP Sanjay Singh and Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj reached the bungalow with media persons, police stopped them, citing a law and order situation.

Asked if they had sought permission to visit the residence, Mr Singh and Mr Bhardwaj told reporters, “Why should we need permission to enter the Chief Minister’s residence?” They were seen speaking to officials at the bungalow, requesting permission to be allowed inside.

“Why can’t we be allowed inside? BJP is spreading misinformation that there is a golden toilet, swimming pool, minibar, so show us and show them (media),” Mr Singh said. Asked if they had sought permission to visit the residence, Mr Singh and Mr Bhardwaj told reporters, “Why should we need permission to enter the Chief Minister’s residence?” They were seen speaking to officials at the bungalow, requesting permission to be allowed inside. The two leaders staged a dharna outside the bungalow but were not allowed permission to enter the bungalow which was Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence when he served as chief minister.

Saurabh Bhardwaj said PWD and police officials informed them that they had received orders from higher authorities not to allow anyone to enter the chief minister’s residence. “Every day, the BJP was releasing videos and photos of the residence. Now, we have come with the media to visit the residence, but we are not being allowed to enter. Three layers of barricades have been set up to prevent our entry. If they had allowed us, the truth would have been revealed. We wanted to see where the golden toilets and swimming pool are,” said Saurabh Bhardwaj.

“The BJP’s lie has been exposed, it is now proved that BJP is “Bharatiya Jhootha Party.” For months, the BJP has been saying there is a golden toilet, swimming pool and minibar in this Chief Minister’s residence. We brought you here today. Have you seen? For just two people, they have placed water cannons, so many cops. Are we terrorists? Why are they stopping us? This means BJP is lying. We will wait here for 10 minutes, if the BJP is telling the truth, they should open the Chief Minister’s residence and allow us inside,” Mr Singh said. Later, the AAP leaders headed to the Prime Minister’s residence, but were stopped.

Hitting back, BJP’s Pradeep Bhandari said the AAP had realised it was on the back foot. “The people of Delhi are asking Arvind Kejriwal a basic question, he came to politics promising that he would live in a 2 BHK apartment, that he would not take VVIP security, that was his commitment to the people of Delhi. What is the reality? During Covid, when everybody was suffering and people wanted help, Mr Kejriwal spent Rs 52 crore (on the bungalow). What Sanjay Singh is doing is nothing but melodrama.”

BJP’s Sudhanshu Trivedi told the media that the AAP’s leaders’ actions align with its “anarchic” tendencies. “No matter how much they try, they cannot save the museum of Mr Kejriwal’s opulence. What they have done today is a show of anarchy that aligns with their natural character.”

Addressing a press briefing before reaching the Flagstaff Road bungalow, Mr Bhardwaj had said, “As promised, we will visit the Chief Minister’s official residence at 6, Flagstaff Road, at 11 a.m. and try to find the golden commode, swimming pool, and mini bar that the BJP claims are present there.” “It should be noted that both the CM’s residence and the PM’s residence are government properties. They were built with taxpayers’ money and came up during the Covid pandemic. If there are allegations of misappropriation of funds, both should be investigated,” he added.

The saffron party’s Delhi chief Virendra Sachdeva has claimed that valuable items, including a “golden commode”, were missing after the bungalow was vacated by Mr Kejriwal. On Tuesday, AAP challenged the BJP to open the Prime Minister’s residence for a media visit to reveal the reality while also offering to take reporters on a tour of the Chief Minister’s bungalow.