A political battle erupted in Delhi over the controversial allotment of the 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow, formerly occupied by Arvind Kejriwal, to newly appointed Chief Minister Atishi. The office of Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena issued a statement accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of “subverting norms and procedures” and “hiding facts” to mislead the public over the allotment. The LG office described the situation as a “devious and diabolic exercise” aimed at deceiving the people of Delhi.
The dispute centers around the bungalow where Kejriwal lived for nine years during his tenure as Chief Minister. After Kejriwal vacated the property, it was quickly allotted to Atishi, prompting accusations from the LG’s office that the AAP government acted improperly in the transfer process.
LG Office’s allegations
In its strongly worded statement, the LG office charged AAP ministers, including Atishi, of misleading the public. “Within a span of just about 48 hours, when the house was handed over by Kejriwal and allotted to Atishi, the AAP, ministers, and even the Chief Minister, resorted to the most devious and diabolic exercise of misleading the people of Delhi and the entire country by subverting norms and procedures, hiding facts to this effect and abusing the LG incessantly,” the statement alleged.
According to the LG’s office, the allotment process bypassed proper norms and was conducted secretly, with the keys allegedly handed over by Kejriwal or his wife to Atishi through their personal staff, as if it were a private property transaction. Additionally, the office noted that the building plan of the Flagstaff Road bungalow had not yet been sanctioned by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and no completion certificate had been issued, making the structure technically illegal.
The LG office also highlighted that Atishi already has access to another official bungalow at 17-AB on Mathura Road and a “seven-star office” in the Delhi Secretariat. “She was not needed to indulge in theatrics by claiming that she would work from the streets,” the LG office claimed.
AAP responds
In response to the allegations, the AAP government dismissed the LG’s accusations as baseless and politically motivated. Sources in the Delhi Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) expressed disappointment over the statement from the LG’s office, calling it “full of abuses and allegations on the elected government.” The AAP leadership maintained that the government was focused on addressing the city’s issues, accusing the LG of stalling important projects.
“The AAP government is busy working on a war footing to revive and fix all the works stopped by the LG in the last few months. These comments by the LG are really not worth responding to,” the CMO said.
Party leaders also accused Lieutenant Governor Saxena of acting under the influence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). AAP leaders alleged that the decision to vacate the Flagstaff Road bungalow was politically motivated, with the BJP using the LG as a tool to create obstacles for the AAP government.
Atishi, who faced criticism for being allotted the bungalow, has publicly stated that she was being forced out of the residence by the LG at the BJP’s behest. She had earlier claimed that she would work from the streets if necessary, emphasizing the challenges she faced due to the sudden eviction.
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Controversy over “Sheeshmahal”
The controversy surrounding the Flagstaff Road bungalow has a broader political backdrop. The BJP had earlier dubbed the bungalow “Sheeshmahal” and criticized Kejriwal for allegedly spending hundreds of crores on renovations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The party had accused Kejriwal of using taxpayer money to lavishly decorate the bungalow with costly interiors and furnishings, further fueling the debate over the ethics of the government’s actions.
In the wake of these accusations, the LG office took a broader swipe at the AAP government, alleging that Delhi’s poor civic infrastructure is a result of 10 years of “misgovernance” under the AAP. The LG office argued that if the government had focused on governance, rather than theatrics and political fights, the city would be in better shape.
“If they had governed and worked for what they have been elected for, even for two years out of the 10 years, Delhi would have been in a much better shape, and they would not have been blaming all and sundry and abusing the Lt Governor for their abject failures,” the LG office asserted.
The battle continues
The tussle over the Flagstaff Road bungalow has highlighted the growing tensions between the AAP government and the office of the Lieutenant Governor. The issue of bungalow allotment, which may seem minor in the larger scheme of governance, has quickly escalated into a full-blown political controversy, with both sides trading barbs and accusations.
As the dispute unfolds, the AAP-BJP rivalry in Delhi shows no signs of abating, with the Flagstaff Road bungalow merely the latest flashpoint in a long-running battle for control over the capital.
