Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Feb 15: The Centre has ordered a probe into alleged irregularities in the renovation of the former official residence of ex-Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal which BJP had dubbed as “Sheesh Mahal” and took full political advantage of it in the just-concluded Delhi Assembly elections.
The investigation was ordered following the submission of a report by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) on February 13. The CPWD has been directed to conduct a detailed inquiry into allegations that building norms were violated to construct the 6 Flagstaff Road Bungalow, an extravagant residence sprawling over 40,000 square yards (8 acres). The inquiry is expected to probe whether government regulations were bypassed to facilitate the construction.
The Central Vigilance Commission has directed the Public Works Department of the Delhi government to conduct a detailed probe into the alleged merger of four government properties for the re-construction and expansion of the 6, Flagstaff Road and the expenditures incurred on its interiors.
The bungalow labelled as “Sheesh Mahal” by the BJP for alleged corruption was occupied by Arvind Kejriwal as the chief minister of Delhi from 2015 till the first week of October last year when he resigned as the chief minister. No immediate reaction was available from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or its convenor Mr Kejriwal on the matter.
On Monday, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva had urged Lt Governor VK Saxena to annul the merger of four government properties with the 6 Flagstaff Road bungalow. Mr Sachdeva, in a letter to Mr Saxena, alleged that the bungalow’s expansion had been carried out through the unauthorised merger of four government properties.
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) took cognisance of BJP leader Vijender Gupta’s two earlier complaints and factual reports of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) based on which it has now directed to conduct detailed probes. In his first complaint to the CVC, the newly-elected BJP MLA from Rohini alleged that Mr Kejriwal flouted building regulations to construct a lavish mansion covering 40,000 square yards (8 acres) of land.
Government properties, including plot Nos. 45 and 47 on Rajpur Road (previously housing senior officials and judges in Type-V flats) and two bungalows (8-A and 8-B, Flag Staff Road) were demolished and merged into the new residence, violating ground coverage and floor area ratio norms and lacking proper layout plan approvals, Gupta alleged.
In his second complaint, Mr Gupta alleged “extravagant spending” on the renovation and interior decoration of the bungalow on 6, Flag Staff Road. He also claimed “massive financial irregularities” and expenditure of crores of rupees from the taxpayers’ money on luxurious amenities in the bungalow.
“The complaint highlighted astronomical expenses, including ₹77 lakh on television, ₹50 lakh on a silk carpet, ₹42 lakh on brass railings, ₹20 lakh on a spa, ₹18 lakh on a hot water generator and ₹12 lakh on toilet seats,” he said. The CVC sought a factual report on his second report from CPWD that was submitted on December 24, 2024, confirming the allegations of “extravagant and unjustifiable spending”, he said.
“After reviewing the factual report, the CVC directed CPWD to conduct a deeper investigation into the misuse of public funds, with suitable action to be taken against those responsible,” he said. Mr Gupta asserted the Aam Aadmi Party and its supremo Arvind Kejriwal should not be under the “illusion that they would get away from facing the law, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said those who have “looted the public money will have to pay back.”
He had also declared that once the BJP forms the government in Delhi, the newly elected Chief Minister would not occupy the bungalow.
The PWD report, released in October 2024, highlighted luxurious renovations and high-end appliances installed at the bungalow. This provided ammunition to the BJP in its campaign against the AAP leadership. During a political rally, Prime Minister Modi made a veiled attack on Mr Kejriwal, stating: “In the last 10 years, Delhi has been plagued by an ‘AAPda’. AAP has descended as a calamity on Delhi. I could have built a ‘Sheesh Mahal’ too, but I chose to build more than 4 crore homes for the poor.”
Mr Kejriwal had dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, accusing the BJP of using personal attacks to divert attention from its alleged failures in Delhi. The BJP has, for over two years, relentlessly targeted Mr Kejriwal over allegations of corruption and misuse of public funds, particularly regarding the lavish renovations and extravagant interiors of the bungalow.
The AAP had hit back during the elections calling Mr Modi’s official residence ‘Raj Mahal.’ The AAP had challenged the BJP to throw open the doors to the PM’s “₹2,700-crore” official residence to expose the luxuries there and said the BJP leaders were running away from it. Hitting back, the BJP placed banners in various areas saying that the “people of Delhi are asking for accounts of their tax paid.” The party alleged that the 6 Flagstaff Road bungalow was renovated “secretly.”
The AAP leader Sanjay Singh, who headed the party’s protest, alleged that the BJP’s refusal to open the gates to the PM’s residence confirmed the claims about its ₹2,700-crore price tag. “In the Raj Mahal, there are 6,700 pairs of shoes, 5,000 suits, a chandelier worth ₹200 crore, and carpets worth ₹300 crores, and they don’t want to show these. The key to the Chief Minister’s residence is with PWD, but here the Prime Minister resides. His house is open; he can show it to everyone,” he said.
“PM Modi travels in a plane worth ₹8,400 crore. He uses pens worth ₹10 lakh. He changes suits three times a day. His convoy has six cars worth ₹12 crore each. The BJP doesn’t want to show this,” he added. Mr Kejriwal separately alleged that the ‘Raj Mahal’ even had a throne worth over ₹150 crore.
The BJP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi had addressed a press conference criticising the AAP. “The undeniable truth is that the people of Delhi were shamelessly looted, and this Sheesh Mahal was transformed into a repository of various luxury items. They cannot escape this reality. What they have done to avoid this is a blatant display of political arrogance, unruliness, and chaos, which is in line with the natural characteristics of the AAP. Creating chaos is the natural characteristic of the Aam Aadmi Party, and for this reason, the Prime Minister referred to them as a ‘AAP-da’,” he had said.
