NEW DELHI, Sept 27: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated a preliminary inquiry to investigate alleged irregularities, including violation of tender rules, in the construction of the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence.
The inquiry has been filed against “unknown public servant(s) of the Government of Delhi.” If the inquiry reveals sufficient details the agency will register a RC or ‘regular case.’
The CBI has written to the Delhi government’s Public Works Department to demand copies of documents, including records of PWD officers’ approval of additions, or alterations, to the building. The agency has also asked for documents pertaining to approval of the building plan and the “request from the client for executing work of superior specification”, which includes marble flooring, as well details of payments to the contractor. All these are to be submitted to the CBI by 10 AM on Tuesday.
Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party has accused the BJP of “using all its strength to destroy…” it. “So far BJP has filed over 50 cases against Kejriwalji… nothing came out in them and nothing will come out of this. No matter how much investigation the BJP does, Arvind Kejriwal will continue to fight for the interests of the common man. Kejriwal has sworn he will make India No 1 in the world and he is ready to pay any price for this,” a defiant AAP said in its statement.
The CBI’s preliminary inquiry is a major development and will trigger another round of bitter barbs between the AAP and the BJP; the bitter rivals exchange political and personal jabs nearly every day.
In July, when the national capital was battling heavy floods, Union Minister Anurag Thakur launched a scathing attack on Mr Kejriwal, accusing him of “running away from his responsibility.” “Arvind Kejriwal blames others for pollution, liquor scam. When will he understand that he has his responsibilities? Those who wanted to make Delhi into Paris are running away now.”
A few months earlier Mr Thakur’s cabinet colleague, Meenakshi Lekhi, took her shot too, claiming the renovation of the Chief Minister’s official residence was in violation of the city’s Master Plan 2021.
Controversy over Mr Kejriwal’s official residence erupted earlier this year after the BJP accused the AAP of spending over Rs 45 crores on renovations. The BJP declared Mr Kejriwal had betrayed the “simple living” promise he made on entering politics. The BJP also alleged, without evidence, that Arvind Kejriwal had offered the media up to ₹ 50 crore to suppress the story.
The BJP waved documents to show Mr Kejriwal’s residence had been fitted with marble from Vietnam and pre-fabricated wooden walls and curtains that cost lakhs of rupees each. One curtain alone cost nearly ₹ 8 lakh, the party claimed.
The AAP had hit back strongly to these allegations, claiming that the dilapidated condition of the Chief Minister’s allotted home had necessitated renovations. The party accused the BJP of hiding the condition of the house before it was rebuilt. “Arvind Kejriwal was allotted a bungalow built in 1942, smaller than one acre, whose roof fell thrice. Once the roof of his parents’ room fell down… Painting/repair of the Lieutenant Governor’s bungalow, spread over six acres, is more than the cost of (the Chief Minister’s) house…” a party spokesperson posted on X.
(Manas Dasgupta)