Opposition welcomed the Public Works Department’s (PWD) decision to seal the bungalow of former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Both Delhi Congress and BJP have criticized the hasty manner in which Chief Minister Atishi Marlena moved into the grand residence at 6 Flag Staff Road, Civil Lines, right after Kejriwal vacated it for another luxurious bungalow at 5 Feroze Shah Road, allotted to an Aam Aadmi Party MP.
Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav argued that this rush suggested there were much to hide in the bungalow, making the sealing decision inevitable. Yadav further alleged that the residence had become infamous due to several incidents, including the liquor scam orchestrated by Kejriwal, the assault on AAP MP Swati Maliwal by Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar, and the attack on a former Chief Secretary in Kejriwal’s presence. He also noted that Atishi moved into the bungalow before officials could thoroughly inspect it. Yadav suggested that the PWD should have filmed the bungalow’s luxurious features to expose Kejriwal’s hypocrisy, as he portrayed himself as a “common man” while indulging in the perks of power at a residence rebuilt at a hefty cost.
Yadav emphasized that Atishi’s swift move into the CM’s residence, despite holding the position for only four months, was intended to cover up Kejriwal’s corruption, particularly the now-scrapped liquor policy devised in the bungalow during the COVID-19 pandemic. He expressed surprise that Atishi did not move into the bungalow allotted to her as a minister at 17, A-B Mathura Road, where former CM Sheila Dikshit had stayed from 1998 to 2004. Instead, she allowed Manish Sisodia to stay at the CM residence even after he resigned as Deputy Chief Minister following his arrest in the liquor scam. Yadav stressed that government bungalows should not be misused by those in power, noting that Kejriwal and his colleagues have lost all credibility.
Interestingly, even the Delhi BJP, Congress’s usual rival, supported the PWD’s decision. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said the sealing of the Sheesh Mahal bungalow met public expectations and called for a video survey to disclose all details to the public. Sachdeva accused AAP of trying to let Atishi illegally occupy the bungalow, which had been linked to investigations involving illegal construction and tree-cutting. He suggested that Kejriwal was hiding something about the bungalow, which lacked approved plans and a completion certificate, and that the PWD has the right to survey and remove any unauthorized constructions. He also raised concerns over the suspicious handling of the bungalow’s keys, calling for a vigilance department investigation.
