On Saturday, BJP’s Parvesh Verma stepped up his criticism of Arvind Kejriwal, calling him the “Rehman Dakait of Delhi” and saying that after Kejriwal moved to a government house at 95 Lodhi Estate, this is another “Sheesh Mahal.” This was just after seven members of the Rajya Sabha, including Raghav Chadha, had resigned from AAP.
BJP escalates ‘Sheesh Mahal 2’ charge
At a press conference in New Delhi, Verma said the BJP will show what “Sheesh Mahal 2” is like, and accused Kejriwal of going back on his earlier promises to live simply. He’s saying there’s a big difference between what Kejriwal said he’d do and how he’s actually living now.
Verma says the first “Sheesh Mahal” in Delhi was built while the city was dealing with a lot of Covid cases. He insists that construction continued constantly during that time, and that it happened because Kejriwal told them to.
The BJP recently released new pictures, and according to Verma, these show “Sheesh Mahal 2” and are tied to Kejriwal’s recent move. He said, “We’ll show you Delhi’s Sheesh Mahal 2,” and called Kejriwal “Rehman Dakait” as if it’s a follow-up.
Here are the key allegations made by the BJP leader:
– Kejriwal lives lavishly despite earlier claims of simplicity
– ‘Sheesh Mahal’ work continued during Delhi’s Covid crisis
– New visuals show a ‘Sheesh Mahal 2’ in Delhi
– Properties are linked to alleged liquor scam funds
Focus shifts to 95 Lodhi Estate
Verma is also focusing on Kejriwal’s move to 95 Lodhi Estate. He said, and showed pictures he said are from the new house, that Kejriwal moved there yesterday, but that he’s the same person who said he would live as an average person.
Kejriwal had previously said he wouldn’t use a government home, but then he did accept a bungalow, and the BJP describes this bungalow as a “Sheesh Mahal.” Verma asked how someone could even get any sleep in such luxury, and questions Kejriwal’s message to the public.
Punjab angle and occupancy claims
Verma claims that after having trouble in Delhi, Kejriwal’s attention has turned to Punjab, and that the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, is feeling the strain. He says many government houses near Bhagwant Mann’s home are being used by leaders in AAP.
He named four leaders in his allegation. As per Verma:
– Kejriwal occupied one residence
– Satyendar Jain occupied another
– Sanjay Singh occupied a third
– Manish Sisodia occupied the fourth
Verma ties these claims to a more general accusation that properties belonging to the party are linked to money from the alleged liquor scandal. He didn’t have any documents to prove this during the press conference.
Timing and political backdrop
This attack on Saturday happened soon after a major upset for AAP. Raghav Chadha and six other Rajya Sabha members resigned from the party the day before, which has led to more attention on AAP’s leadership and even stronger criticism from the BJP.
Verma presents these newest accusations as a reaction to what he believes is Kejriwal changing where he’s focusing his political work. He says the people of Delhi “defeated” him and he “moved to Punjab,” which is making things harder for the Chief Minister there.
What happens next
Verma says the BJP will share more about “Sheesh Mahal 2” and continue to contrast how Kejriwal presents himself to the public with what he’s apparently like in his personal life. The party has been showing pictures of Kejriwal’s Delhi home and wants people to make up their own minds from them.
Kejriwal and AAP haven’t yet responded to these accusations. Because of the changes in leadership and the much more aggressive language being used, this disagreement will likely continue to be important.
The statements by the BJP make you wonder about how public officials are being held responsible and what they are saying to the public in both Delhi and Punjab. With pictures and harsh comments now being used, all eyes are now on how AAP will respond to the accusations and explain their position.
