The Delhi BJP on Saturday claimed nearly Rs 3.69 crores were spent annually for eight years for maintenance of then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's official bungalow and alleged corruption. Leveling this charge, state BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva also said this annual maintenance expenditure of a Government bungalow clearly indicates the royal level of upkeep that Kejriwal maintained, or there may be corruption at play in this as well.

The people of Delhi want Kejriwal to come forward and explain what exactly was lacking in his bungalow that required Rs 31 lakh to be spent every month on maintenance, he said.

Addressing a news conference, Sachdeva said a citizen from Maharashtra had filed an RTI seeking details on the maintenance expenses for the general wear and tear, sewage, electricity, and structural work of Kejriwal's old residence bungalow between 2015 and 2022. The Delhi Government responded on December 29, 2023, providing a breakdown of the expenditures. The figures revealed in the RTI expose Kejriwal's extravagant lifestyle and the corruption in Government works, he said.

Sachdeva highlighted that according to the RTI response, between March 31, 2015, and December 27, 2022, a total of Rs 29,56,35,074 was spent on maintenance work related to the general wear and tear, sewage, electricity, and structural work of Kejriwal's bungalow on Flag Staff Road.

Sachdeva further pointed out that this means, on average, Rs 3,69,54,384 was spent annually on maintenance of Kejriwal's old bungalow over eight years from 2015 to 2022. The Delhi BJP President claimed that an annual maintenance cost of Rs 3.69 crore for a single Government bungalow suggests that Kejriwal either maintained it at a royal standard or, more likely, was involved in corrupt practices.

In Delhi, where one can build a decent 250sq-300 sq yard bungalow for Rs 3 crore to Rs 4 crore, the cost of maintenance for Kejriwal's bungalow at Rs 3.69 crore annually is astonishing, BJP leader said.

The bungalow at the centre of the debate - 6, Flag Staff Road - has been occupied throughout its history by people of varying degrees of importance in Delhi's administration.

However, the residence only gained significant political prominence in 2015 when the then Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal moved into it. Originally envisioned by the British in the aftermath of the revolt of 1857, the first trace of construction was carried out on the piece of land - known now as 6, Flag Staff Road - to make a residence for high-ranking Raj officials back when Civil Lines served as the nerve centre of British admiration in the city.

Then, in 1942, a new, more modern structure was built on the spot, again by the British, and the plot was eventually taken over by the Government of India after Independence.

The road itself was named after Flag Staff Tower, built in 1828 by the British-Indian Army as a signal tower where soldiers from adjacent cantonment were deployed to keep a watch on the northern expanse of the city.