A high-voltage political drama unfolded in Delhi on Wednesday as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjay Singh clashed with police personnel outside the Chief Minister’s residence. The leaders were attempting to counter allegations by the BJP regarding alleged irregularities in the renovation of the CM’s residence, a controversy that has become a central issue in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections.
Stopped at PM’s Residence
After being denied entry at the CM’s residence, the AAP delegation decided to march toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence to “end the debate” between the two properties. However, they were stopped by police outside the PM’s residence, which Sanjay Singh sarcastically referred to as the “Raj Mahal.”
Speaking to ANI, Singh remarked, “The allegations that the BJP keeps making against us—they should have shown us where the ‘golden toilet,’ the swimming pool, or the mini bar is. But instead, they stopped us outside. Now, we are heading back.”
AAP’s Challenge to BJP
AAP has accused the BJP of using baseless allegations for political mileage. Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, speaking to the media, said, “We wanted to resolve this ‘your house versus our house’ argument. Both the PM’s residence and the CM’s residence should be shown to the public. That’s why we came here.”
This comes after AAP challenged the BJP to allow a media tour of the Prime Minister’s residence while offering a similar tour of the Delhi CM’s house.
BJP’s Allegations
The BJP has targeted Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of spending excessively on the renovation of his residence, dubbing it “Sheesh Mahal.” Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva has alleged that valuable items, including a “golden commode,” were missing after the house was vacated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took a swipe at Kejriwal during an election rally in New Ashok Nagar, criticizing the alleged misuse of public funds.