Sheeshmahal' v/s 'Rajmahal'

The war of words over Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal splurging over Rs 50 crores on his official bungalow, for which the BJP had coined the term "Sheeshmahal" (glass palace), intensified on Wednesday with the BJP releasing its video.

- Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

AAP MP Sanjay Singh countered by alleging that PM Modi resided in a "Rajmahal" which was worth much more as it had cost Rs 2,700 crore. Singh also challenged the BJP to allow a media tour of the PM's bungalow.

The BJP had begun attacking Kejriwal for spending huge sums of money not only on the construction of his official bungalow at 6 Flagstaff Road in Civil Lines but also on furnishing it with expensive items - including 12 gold-plated toilets costing Rs 12 lakh each - after an inventory of the premises was done by the Public Works Department in October 2024 when Kejriwal vacated it on resigning as Delhi chief minister.

Earlier this month, the BJP had cited a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General which had pointed to Rs 33 crores being spent on Kejriwal's bungalow in 2022, and that the costs rose to nearly Rs 75-80 crore if the spending in 2023 and 2024 were also taken into account.