The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday launched a sharp attack on former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over his newly allotted government residence, alleging misuse of funds and “luxury living”, even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rejected the charges as “false” and threatened legal action.
The controversy centres on a Type-VII bungalow at 95, Lodhi Estate, one of the higher categories of government accommodation, where Kejriwal recently shifted. The accommodation was allotted by the Centre following due process and is linked to his position as AAP’s national convenor.
Addressing a press conference, Delhi deputy chief minister and BJP leader Parvesh Verma alleged that the residence had been upgraded with high-end amenities beyond permissible norms and described it as “Sheesh Mahal 2”, invoking the BJP’s earlier criticism of renovation expenditure at Kejriwal’s previous official residence.
Displaying visuals that he claimed showed the interiors of the bungalow, Verma said the property had been fitted with luxury features using private funds. He alleged that the scale of modifications raised questions about transparency and propriety.
“Delhi’s voters have already rejected this ‘Rehman dacoit,’ forcing him to shift his focus toward Punjab,” Verma said. He further alleged that several AAP leaders, including those facing legal scrutiny, continued to occupy government accommodations in both Delhi and Punjab.
Verma also accused the AAP leadership of straying from its original “aam aadmi” plank and adopting a lifestyle inconsistent with its political messaging.
The AAP hit back strongly, dismissing the allegations as baseless. Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh termed the visuals circulated by the BJP as “completely fake” and accused the party of spreading misinformation.
Singh said the AAP would initiate defamation proceedings against Verma as well as media organisations that broadcast the images. He also challenged BJP leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and the Lieutenant Governor, to make their official residences public for comparison.
“Let there be a transparent comparison. The truth will come out as to whose residence is actually luxurious,” Singh said.
There was no immediate independent verification of the claims made by either side.
The “Sheesh Mahal 2” remark draws from an earlier political controversy in which the BJP had accused Kejriwal of excessive expenditure on the renovation of his previous official residence, a charge the AAP had denied at the time.
The fresh confrontation comes against the backdrop of a major political setback for the AAP, with seven of its ten Rajya Sabha MPs switching to the BJP a day earlier. The group, led by Raghav Chadha, includes Swati Maliwal, Harbhajan Singh and Sandeep Pathak.
The MPs invoked provisions related to party merger, enabling them to retain their seats in the Rajya Sabha. Chadha said the decision was driven by concerns that the AAP had deviated from its founding principles.
BJP president Nitin Nabin welcomed the leaders at the party headquarters, saying their induction would strengthen the goal of “Viksit Bharat 2047” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kejriwal has accused the BJP of orchestrating the defections in a bid to destabilise the AAP government in Punjab. The BJP, however, has maintained that the exits reflect growing internal dissatisfaction within the AAP and its recent electoral setbacks in Delhi.