BJP Shares Arvind Kejriwal's Sheesh Mahal 2.0 Images With 'Rehman Dakait' Jibe, AAP Issues Rebuttal

New Delhi: Following the recent exit of Raghav Chadha and six other Rajya Sabha MPs from the Aam Aadmi Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a blistering attack on Saturday, with Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Verma likening Arvind Kejriwal to “Rehman Dakait”- the infamous villain from the Bollywood hit Dhurandhar.

The BJP further alleged that the Chief Minister had commissioned a second "Sheesh Mahal," a claim that has significantly escalated the ongoing political confrontation between the two parties.

During a press conference, Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma accused Arvind Kejriwal of adopting an extravagant lifestyle, suggesting a sharp contradiction to his former public image of simplicity.

‘One who betrayed…’

The BJP leader said, "One who betrayed people of Delhi, who came to power in the name of Anna Hazare, showing pictures of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh. One who said I will not take residence and car from the government is Delhi's Rahman Dakait. We will today show you Sheesh Mahal part two."

He added, "He made sheesh mahal that too at the time when Delhi's public was suffering from COVID. An extension was also being created for Rs 70 crore. After losing elections, he went to Punjab. Arvind Kejriwal, Satyendra Jain, Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia took possession of government residences near Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann's residence. Bhagwant Mann is tense with these people."

He recalled Kejriwal's promise of leading a life of a common man without using government facilities, and said, "Now, when he got a new bungalow at 95 Lodhi Estate. When the pictures of it came out, we were astonished. The man who said he would live simply today lives in a luxurious manner. This is a government-allocated house, but the money invested in this house is not government funds. Last time he said that the PWD invested the money, but in this house, every penny invested is private money. His own bedroom is looking like Goa's 7-star hotel room. There are a total of five bedrooms."

AAP terms it fake

In a firm rebuttal, AAP dismissed the images released by the BJP as fabrications. AAP leader Sanjay Singh doubled down on the defense, challenging Delhi CM Rekha Gupta and Parvesh Sahib Singh to grant the public similar access to their own private residences.

"All the pictures released by Pravesh Verma are fake. They are not pictures of Kejriwal ji's house. To find out whose house is how luxurious, Rekha Gupta ji and LG sahib should open their own houses, and Kejriwal ji will open his house. The public will decide for itself," AAP leader Atishi said on X.

Anurag Dhanda, an AAP leader, dismissed the allegations as baseless, asserting that all images released by Parvesh Verma were fabricated and did not depict Arvind Kejriwal’s residence.

Straight out of Pinterest

The AAP dismissed the allegations by claiming the released photos were not of Kejriwal’s residence, but were actually stock images downloaded from Pinterest. 

Taking a swipe at the BJP, the party suggested that these "internet-sourced" fabrications were a desperate move born from an inability to find genuine evidence against Kejriwal. In a sarcastic jab, AAP added that Parvesh Verma should have at least used AI, noting that his "theft" of existing online images was caught far too easily.

Why the row?

This comes after former Delhi CM shifted to a new Type-VII government bungalow at 95, Lodhi Estate in the national capital.

The "Sheesh Mahal" allegations first surfaced last year after the BJP accused him of excessive expenditure on renovations and luxury additions to the 6 Flagstaff Bungalow. The BJP had also filed a complaint with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).

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