The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated a preliminary inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the renovation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence, according to an official of the Central agency.
The CBI has also sought documents related to the project from the Delhi government’s Public Works Department (PWD).
In April, the city unit of the BJP, citing purported documents from the PWD, alleged that over ₹45 crore was spent on renovating the house and demanded the CM’s resignation.
Later that month, Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena sought a report from the Chief Secretary on the alleged irregularities.
In May, a Directorate of Vigilance report commissioned by Mr. Saxena showed that the PWD had spent ₹52.71 crore on the renovation of Mr. Kejriwal’s official residence — 6, Flagstaff Road, Civil Lines. Based on the report, the L-G wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 19 seeking an inquiry into the matter.
‘Move to malign AAP’
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) termed the move a desperate attempt by the BJP to malign it and accused the Opposition party of putting in all efforts to destroy AAP. “We welcome the inquiry. So far, over 50 cases have been filed against Mr. Kejriwal and investigations have been carried out. Nothing was found in any of them. Nothing will be found in this either,” the party said in a statement.
AAP said in the entire country, only it is seeking votes by doing excellent work in education and healthcare, while the BJP does not want the poor to have access to good education and better healthcare facilities.
“This will lead to the defeat of the BJP’s politics of religion and caste. That’s why the country’s best education and health Ministers, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, have been put in jail. Now, all investigating agencies have been deployed to encircle Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal,” the statement read.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the inquiry will establish on whose instructions the “norms for floating tenders were violated”. “The inquiry will find out on whose instructions the PWD officials floated small tenders for the construction, which was done without getting the sanction plan approved by the MCD and, above all, the rejection of the plan submitted to the Delhi Urban Art Commission,” he said.
Mr. Sachdeva also said that the city residents want to know who approved the rates and quality of the building material, flooring marbles, woodwork and furnishing material used in the bungalow. “Delhiites want to know how Mr. Kejriwal constructed a bungalow that is much bigger than his entitled Type-7 accommodation and how toilet seats worth lakhs and curtains worth ₹8 lakh each were put up,” he said.
‘Against irregularities’
The Congress, an ally of AAP in the INDIA bloc, said the “law will take its own course”. “We are always against irregularities. We have taken action against our own Ministers in the past over such charges. However, in this matter, we have nothing to say. Law will take its own course,” Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said.
