The BJP stated on Wednesday that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal spent more than 45 crores on home renovation, accusing him of excessive hypocrisy and leading the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to issue strong rebuttals using videos of disintegrating ceilings.
Mr. Kejriwal, who leads the AAP, broke his vow to promote honesty and simplicity when he entered politics, according to BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra. He referred to him as a “Maharaja,” or monarch, and described him as having a “lust for luxury and comfort.”
Mr. Patra further claimed, without providing evidence, that Mr Kejriwal offered 20 to 50 crore to media outlets to suppress the story, but they turned him down.
He highlighted records proving that Mr. Kejriwal’s home was outfitted with pricey Vietnamese marble, pre-fabricated timber walls, and curtains costing millions of rupees each. He said that one curtain alone cost more than 7.94 lakh rupees.
“This is the story of a shameless king,” said Mr. Patra at a press conference.
He contrasted Mr. Kejriwal’s extravagant spending with previous addresses in which he chastised lawmakers for living in flashy residences and enjoying other public-sector benefits. He also maintained that a four- or five-room house would be enough and that he did not require a larger one.
Mr. Patra demanded that Mr. Kejriwal hold a press conference and answer all questions about his home makeover, just as the AAP leader had demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarify his educational qualifications.
Mr. Kejriwal did not respond quickly to the charges. His party, which has almost daily clashes with the BJP, accused it of concealing the condition of the property Mr. Kejriwal was assigned and circulated recordings showing the decaying state of the Chief Minister’s home prior to repair.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal spent Rs 45 Crore on home renovation, claims BJP
“Rs 80 crore was spent on the 3-hour visit of friend Donald Trump. The Chief Ministers of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh take aircraft worth ₹ 200 crore for themselves. No channel has the guts to debate this,” AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar tweeted.
“Arvind Kejriwal was allotted a bungalow built in 1942, smaller than 1 acre, whose roof fell thrice. Once the roof of his parents’ room fell down and once where they held Janata Durbar. The painting/repair of the Lieutenant Governor’s bungalow spread over 6 acres is more than the cost of building a house for the Chief Minister of Delhi,” she said.
Targeting Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, the representative of the BJP-led government at the centre of the capital’s administration, Ms. Kakkar said, “Sir BJP’s media is saying that Arvind Kejriwal ji has built a palace worth 45 crores for himself. You take this palace, and give your poor house to Arvind ji so that the debate can take place on public issues.”
AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the controversy had been stoked to distract people from real issues. “The Prime Minister, who calls himself a fakir, is getting a house built for himself with ₹ 500 crore. ₹ 90 crore was spent in renovating the house where he is living now,” he said.
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