The Public Works Department (PWD) today sealed and locked ‘Sheesh Mahal’, the house of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Since the keys had not been handed over to the PWD, and since Kejriwal had already put a lock, PWD today sealed the house with a Double Lock System. The current Chief Minister of Delhi Atishi had recently moved into the bungalow.
The Bhartiya Janata Party have previously raised concerns that the former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had not officially vacated his official residence at 6 Flagstaff Road, commonly referred to as the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ till October 7. The claims had come on the same day that the newly appointed Chief Minister, Atishi, moved into the bungalow previously occupied by Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal, who stepped down from his position on October 4, had lived in the bungalow for a decade.
The ‘Sheesh Mahal’ controversy has become a bone of contention for the AAP, where the party has been accused of purported irregularities in the funds used for the bungalow’s construction and lavish interiors. The BJP continues to emphasize that the residence is not designated as the official home for the Delhi Chief Minister but is instead a common pool bungalow under the jurisdiction of the PWD. An ongoing investigation by the vigilance department has been looking into the renovations made to the property.
BJP Delhi chief Virendra Sachdeva had released a letter from the Public Works Department (PWD) directed to Prashant Ranjan Jha, Special Secretary of the Chief Minister’s Office, alleging that Kejriwal had continued to retain possession of the official residence despite his departure. “Four days ago, we witnessed the theatrics of Arvind Kejriwal leaving the bungalow while holding his parents’ hands. However, according to government rules, he still holds onto the Sheesh Mahal,” Sachdeva claimed. He characterized the handover of keys as a staged performance intended to garner sympathy, noting that Sunita Kejriwal merely handed the keys over to an official for the cameras.
Sachdeva further noted that protocol dictates that keys should have been handed over to Section Officer Vijay Kumar upon vacating the residence. However, he alleged that the keys were handed over for public display and were retrieved shortly after.
On the sealing of the property, Virendra Sachdeva further commented, “Arvind Kejriwal’s ‘Sheesh Mahal’ has finally been sealed. What secrets are hidden in that bungalow that without handing over the keys to the concerned department, you were trying to enter the bungalow again? You created a good drama by taking your belongings in two small trucks. Everyone knows that the bungalow is still in your possession. The way you tried to hand over the bungalow to Atishi was unconstitutional. Atishi has already been allotted a bungalow then how can she take your bungalow? A lot of secrets are hidden in that bungalow.”