Congress Targets Kejriwal Alleging Corruption With ‘Sheesh Mahal’ Tableau At 'Delhi Nyay Yatra'

New Delhi: The Congress party, on Saturday, carried out the ‘Delhi Nyay Yatra’ with a tableau featuring a ‘Sheesh Mahal (Referred to Delhi CM residence), a gold-plated toilet seat and liquor bottle, alleging unprecedented corruption by former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. As the Congress launched an attack on the ruling AAP government, the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ tableau drew attention across the national capital. 

While unveiling the tableau in Delhi Hari Nagar, Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav that it symbolises unprecedented corruption by Kejriwal. Yadav said, “Kejriwal, who hailed from a humble background, lived in a small flat, drove a Wagon-R, and with a perpetual cough for company, and who had said that he would not accept any official bungalow, car or security, built a Rs 175 crore “Sheesh Mahal” illegally for himself, with a gold-plated commode, and travelled in luxury vehicles with security to flaunt his power, but did nothing for the people or for the development of the city, which he allowed to deteriorate with air and water pollution causing serious health hazards to the people.” 

He said that Kejriwal, who also spent lakhs to cure his cough at a resort in Bangalore, neglected Delhi and its residents to drive them into total misery, yet he was swearing by the name of “Aam Aadmi”.  

Addressing a gathering in Hari Nagar, Devender Yadav said that the float was to expose the corruption and misuse of power by Arvind Kejriwal, who betrayed the people with false promises. He said, “In the name of freebies, Kejriwal served people with dirty water, inflated power bills and an obsolete public transport system. The people of Delhi elected Kejriwal thrice to power, expecting a clean and transparent government by an honest man, but what they got in return was corruption, destruction of the city and a most corrupt chief minister, who became inaccessible to people after getting power.” 

Taking a veiled dig at Kejriwal calling him ‘Kattar Imandar’, the Delhi Congress president alleged that the former CM destroyed youths of the city by opening liquor vends all over, including non-confirming areas like unauthorised colonies and rural areas, in a liquor scam which eventually landed him in jail.

Delhi CM's Residence Was Reportedly Renovated at Around Rs 45 Crore

Pertinently, former CM Arvind Kejriwal had promised before his first Delhi assembly elections that he would live an austere life as a chief minister. However, later, it came to light that he spent crores on the renovation of his official residence in Delhi’s Civil Lines.

It was claimed that Kejriwal spent a whopping Rs 45 crore on renovation of his official home at 6, Flagstaff Road, Civil Lines in Delhi. The huge expenditure triggered a political row, with the opposition parties demanding his resignation.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released documents that claimed Rs 44.78 crore were spent on "addition/alteration" at the chief minister’s government residence between September 2020 and June 2022. This included Rs 11.30 crore for interior decoration, Rs 6.02 crore on flooring, and Rs 1 crore on curtains along with crores on appliances and other fixtures.