Ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is going all out against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a bid to oust the current government in the national capital.
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal for building a “sheeshmahal” for himself, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday followed him and took potshots at the AAP chief.
Shah slammed Kejriwal for building a “sheeshmahal” for himself instead of creating infrastructure in the capital during his nearly 10-year term as Delhi chief minister, saying the AAP convenor will have to give an account for it. While addressing an event after inaugurating a working women’s hostel—Sushma Bhavan—of the New Delhi Municipal Corporation, the former BJP chief listed a host of expensive items and appliances used in Kejriwal’s official residence as the chief minister, saying he had never heard of some of those things.
When Kejriwal entered politics, he vowed not to take a government car or bungalow and promised to herald a new kind of politics, Shah said. But the AAP leader could not be satisfied with one, two, three, or four bungalows, and instead built himself a “sheesh mahal” spread across 50,000 square yards of land, costing the people of Delhi Rs 45 crore, he further stated.
The BJP has been using the term “sheesh mahal,” a colloquial Hindi term for an opulent house, to target Kejriwal. The home minister said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi could not build a system to supply water to the residents, but Kejriwal spent “Rs 14 crore on a water plant for his family of four.” “Kejriwal Ji, you will have to give an account to the people of Delhi. They are demanding answers from you,” Shah said.
Levelling allegations on the AAP national convener, Shah claimed that over Rs 6 crore was spent on designer marbles, Rs 6 crore on motorised curtains, Rs 70 lakh on automatic doors, Rs 50 lakh on carpets, and Rs 64 lakh on smart TVs at the chief minister’s residence when Kejriwal occupied it. Taking a swipe, Shah said he had suggested to Kejriwal on X that he should allow people of Delhi to take a tour of the “sheesh mahal” so that they could see what kind of home their chief minister lived in.
Some young persons had come to see him, and when he told them that Kejriwal had done nothing for Delhi, they retorted that he was being unjust, as the AAP leader built a “sheesh mahal,” the senior BJP leader said in sarcasm.
The Union minister further accused Kejriwal of overseeing a series of corruption scandals, including in Delhi’s liquor policy, Mohalla Clinics, CCTV installations, and bus purchases. Shah also invoked the legacy of late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, whom he described as a “fighting opposition leader” remembered for her service in various key ministries.
Shah emphasised that while Swaraj’s contributions to the foreign and health ministries would be remembered in Indian parliamentary history, Kejriwal’s legacy would be tainted by corruption and self-interest. “People of Delhi are smart, and they will not be deceived. Kejriwal must answer for his actions,” Shah said, adding that the BJP was committed to providing “honest and accountable” governance in the national capital.
As the Delhi elections approach, the battle for control of the city is expected to intensify, with both the BJP and AAP pulling no punches in their campaign rhetoric. The Assembly elections in Delhi are expected to take place in February.
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