Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday requested Delhi LG VK Saxena to cancel the merger of four properties with the “Sheesh Mahal”, the official residence of Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi Chief Minister from 2015 till October 2024. During the recent Assembly polls, the BJP used “sheesh mahal” as a political weapon to target AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal over corruption.
In a letter to Delhi LG Saxena, Newly elected BJP MLA Virendra Gupta urged the cancellation of the merger of four properties that were intended for the expansion of the Chief Minister’s residence.
Bungalow was expanded by merging four government properties
Gupta said that the bungalow was expanded by merging four government properties and he has written to the Governor VK Saxena for cancelling the amalgamation of those properties.
It is pertinent to mention that the reconstructed bungalow served as the official residence of Arvind Kejriwal during his tenure as Delhi Chief Minister from 2015 until October 2024, when he vacated it following his resignation amid BJP’s allegations of corruption.
BJP CM will not live in bungalow
Gupta, who served as the Leader of Opposition in the 7th Delhi Assembly before its dissolution last week, stated that the BJP Chief Minister would not reside in the bungalow as it was under investigation for alleged irregularities. He said that the land from the demerged properties be repurposed for official use, such as constructing government quarters.
The BJP for more than two years, more so during the Assembly election campaign, hit hard at Kejriwal levelling allegations of corruption including irregularities in the reconstruction of the bungalow and lavish interiors, high-end domestic goods and fixtures there.
“Kejriwal transformed the bungalow into ‘an ultra-luxurious’ ‘Sheesh Mahal’ by ‘illegally annexing’ neighbouring government properties,” Gupta wrote to the LG.
“The scope of these unauthorized alterations is particularly concerning. What was meant to be a standard official residence has been transformed into a lavish complex spanning more than 50,000 square meters,” he charged in the letter.
He said that the merged properties included eight Type-V flats at 45 and 47 Rajpur Road, and the two government bungalows (8-A and 8-B Flag Staff Road) with the 6, Flagstaff road bungalow.
“I urgently request your intervention to restore these properties to their original independent status and return 6-lag Staff Road to its previous area of less than 10,000 square meters,” he said.
Gupta also requested the LG to expedite the ongoing investigation into these alleged violations, saying swift action is crucial for ensuring accountability and restoring public trust in government institutions.
(With PTI Inputs)
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