Bansuri Swaraj accuses Arvind Kejriwal of double standards

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj on Saturday accused AAP national convener and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of “double standards”, alleging that the proposed “luxurious interiors” of his government bungalow at 95, Lodhi Estate, are not in line with his claims of being a common man.

Addressing a press conference, the New Delhi MP said the issue is not about luxury but about “deception” and inconsistency between words and actions.

“Let me reiterate – the issue is not about living in luxury. The issue is double standards, falsehood, deception, and the gap between words and actions. It is about putting up a facade before the people of this country while practising something entirely different,” she said.

Swaraj alleged that while Kejriwal projects himself as an “aam aadmi”, the proposed designs of the bungalow indicate otherwise, which she described as “Sheesh Mahal 2.0”.

“As is evident from these images, these are not the tastes of an ‘aam aadmi’ but of a very elite person,” she claimed while showing a PPT during the press conference.

She also disclosed the name of a private firm, which she claimed is providing the furniture.

Swaraj further claimed that a “Punjab minister is funding furniture and modifications at the Lodhi Estate bungalow”, but did not provide specifics. “We have information about who is funding the furniture and the changes being made, including which Punjab minister is bearing the cost,” she said.

She also alleged that Kejriwal had earlier said he would not accept a government bungalow or vehicle but had acted contrary to those claims. “Kejriwal had said he would live in a flat and not take a government bungalow, but he went on to occupy an official residence and built what we call ‘Sheesh Mahal’ while he was chief minister,” she said.

The BJP MP also accused him of misusing government funds during the Covid pandemic. “Even when Delhi was battling Covid, instead of focusing on the people, government funds were used for this project,” she said, adding that Kejriwal continued to stay in government accommodation even after demitting office and later shifted to a Rajya Sabha MP’s bungalow with Punjab Police security.