New Delhi [India], January 8 : Sandeep Dikshit, Congress candidate from New Delhi Assembly, criticized Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal amidst the intensifying controversy over his official residence. While campaigning door-to-door in the New Delhi constituency, Dikshit questioned Kejriwal’s earlier statements about simplicity, saying, “Kejriwal once told me that a CM should live in a one-room house, yet now he stays in a luxurious bungalow.” Dikshit further pointed out the contradiction, highlighting that Kejriwal had installed around 50 air conditioners in his residence, comparing it to former CM Sheila Dikshit’s home, which was criticized for having 12 ACs. “You claim to be an ‘Aam Aadmi’ but live like this? You’ve yet to answer for your ‘Sheesh Mahal’,” Dikshit added.
As tensions escalated over the CM’s residence, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders clashed with the police. Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of deflecting from the debate about the residence’s luxury, suggesting that the public should compare it to the Prime Minister’s residence, which is also under scrutiny. “BJP says the CM’s residence cost Rs 33 crores, but they’re quiet about the Rs 2700 crore PM house,” Bharadwaj remarked.
The controversy deepened when AAP leaders, including Sanjay Singh, engaged in a standoff with police outside the Delhi CM’s bungalow. AAP had earlier marched to the CM’s residence to counter BJP’s allegations that it was lavish, complete with swimming pools and golden toilets. The BJP had labeled the CM’s home a ‘Sheesh Mahal’, sparking heated exchanges between AAP leaders and police.
In response, the BJP’s Delhi unit shared a video claiming that the CM’s residence revealed Kejriwal’s “dirty secrets.” They accused the Delhi CM of being a fraud who, despite presenting himself as a common man, was living lavishly in a ‘glass palace.’