AAP, BJP spar over ₹45 crore spent on Delhi CM house renovation

The BJP accused Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of living like a king even though he touts his common man status

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday engaged in a war of words over Delhi government spending around ₹44.78 crore on refurbishing the official residence of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal between 2020 and 2022, with the money going on imported marble, plush interiors, electrical fixtures, and high-end kitchen equipment.

The BJP protested outside Delhi CM’s residence on Wednesday. (PTI)

In a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said Kejriwal had claimed in an affidavit in 2013 that he will not enjoy the luxuries, but was spending ₹45 crore on his residence when people in Delhi were dying due to Covid, and is now living like a king even though he touts his common man status.

A group of Delhi BJP leaders including Kuljeet Chahal, former Union minister Vijay Goel and others protested outside CM’s residence over the issue on Wednesday. Many of these leaders were later detained by the Delhi police.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh hit back at the BJP, and said the renovation was necessitated because the CM’s residence was constructed 80 years ago and there had been three incidents of parts of roof collapse in the house after which the Public Works Department (PWD), the agency responsible for the maintenance of the bungalow, recommended rebuilding the CM’s residence.

BJP’s Kuljeet Chahal said the BJP leaders protested near CM’s residence over the issue. “We want answers from Kejriwal over the extravagant spending. Unless he responds we will continue to raise a voice against the issue,” Chahal said.

Meanwhile, Patra shared the details of the renovation spend at CM’s residence. “There are different stories of the curtains, tiles, fittings etc. There are orders for 23 curtains -- the costliest was of ₹8 lakh and the cheapest of ₹3 lakh. I am feeling strange that I am doing a press conference on curtains. Marble has been imported from Vietnam on a special order and so far marbles worth ₹1.15 crore have been fitted. Around ₹5 crores have been spent for pre-fabricated wooden walls. And remember, his MLAs came in autorickshaws during the oath-taking saying that they don’t have cars,” Patra said.

In a statement, the AAP has contested the BJP leaders’ claims. “The house was in a dilapidated condition, having been built 80 years ago in 1942. After three serious incidents, which included the ceiling of the CM’s parents’ room falling, the ceiling of the CM’s bedroom collapsing, and the office ceiling collapsing, the Public Works Department recommended the construction of a new house,” the AAP said.