The first major flashpoint came with the demand that Chief Minister Atishi vacate the bungalow in Civil Lines that had been occupied by her predecessor, Arvind Kejriwal, two days after she had moved in. PWD officials, who report directly to Atishi herself, said no formal handover of the property from Kejriwal to the department had taken place, ratcheting up tensions between the Delhi government and its bureaucracy.
The all formalities complied after which she shifted,” said AAP. However PWD claims no official handover by Kejriwal from his department to residence has been done and hence the property has been sealed. On Wednesday morning, PWD officials visited the house and could retrieve the keys from Atishi later in the day. Though Atishi has the keys yet an official allotment letter from Chief Minister for the residence hasn’t arrived yet.
Escalating Protests and Political Responses
The AAP called it unprecedented, with the CMO issuing a statement accusing the L-G of working under the dispensation of the BJP. “For the first time in the history of the country, the Chief Minister has been asked to vacate her house.”. The statement continued to claim that it is at the request of the BJP that the L-G has violently snatched away CM Atishi’s belongings. The CMO further stated that L-G had planned to hand over the house to some prominent leader of the BJP since the party had not been in the city’s government for a long time.
There’s nothing new to this controversy surrounding this residence. Arvind Kejriwal, who had occupied the bungalow since 2015, resigned as Chief Minister on September 17, leaving it shortly afterwards. Prior to that, Kejriwal and AAP had taken flak over alleged irregularities and cost escalations for renovating the bungalow for Rs 4.97 crore in 2020-21. The CBI is currently probing the matter and disciplinary actions initiated against 10 PWD officials involved in the project.
Show-Cause notices and Continuing Investigations
The Directorate of Vigilance issued showcause notices to three officers, special secretary to the CM included, for failing to hand over keys to the property in question. The notice refers to an investigation that is currently underway into alleged irregularities in the construction and renovation work at the bungalow. Not only was the building not approved by the PWD or any other authority, it did not possess a completion certificate from anywhere, the notice stated.
Public Hike and BJP’s Strong Protest
Delhi BJP Chief, Virendra Sachdeva questioned the urgent possession. On the contrary, he dubbed it a “Sheesh Mahal” built with public money. Speaking at a press conference, he said, “Kejriwal constructed the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ constructed with public money. Now, after resignation from the post, what is the hurry to get possession without following rules?” Sachdeva demanded proper inventory and transparency.
AAP was quick to response, dismissed this issue as being a non-issue and claimed that all formalities had been completed. In any event, sealing of the residence marks a dramatic escalation in an already power-struggling game between the elected government and the administrative machinery at Delhi.
Why the Action Was Taken
The sealing of Delhi Chief Minister Atishi’s residence stems from a dispute over the official handover of the property. While Atishi moved into the Civil Lines bungalow, which was earlier occupied by Arvind Kejriwal, the Public Works Department (PWD) claims that the formal transfer of the residence had not yet occurred. The department stated that an official allotment letter was not provided to Atishi, and the building’s legal status remains under scrutiny due to ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities in its construction and renovation.
The PWD, alongside the Directorate of Vigilance and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), is probing claims that the bungalow was constructed without approved plans and lacked a completion certificate. These concerns prompted the PWD to take action by sealing the residence, despite Aam Aadmi Party’s insistence that all necessary formalities had been completed.
Furthermore, show-cause notices were issued to officials who failed to properly hand over the keys, adding another layer to the bureaucratic tensions behind the sealing.
