'Blatant corruption' in renovation of Kejriwal's residence, alleges BJP

The BJP alleged blatant corruption in the renovation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's official residence, saying expenditure under various heads was kept below Rs 10 crore

The BJP on Thursday alleged "blatant corruption" in the renovation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's official residence, saying expenditure under various heads was kept below Rs 10 crore to bypass the lieutenant governor's scrutiny.

According to the Delhi government general financial rules, files pertaining to any project worth Rs 10 crore and above are required to be sent to the lieutenant governor while a department head or minister has the power to approve any expenditure below it, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi told a press conference.

At various stages of the reconstruction of Kejriwal's bungalow, expenditure on multiple heads was above Rs 9 crore but deliberately kept below Rs 10 crore, he charged.

"The expenditure on the chief minister's camp office was Rs 9.99 crore," Trivedi said and asked, "From where have you acquired the capacity of calculating an exact amount of Rs 9.99 crore...a smart calculation."

"This is clearly a matter of blatant corruption.... This clearly unmasks the Aam Aadmi Party's corruption," he charged.

The BJP spokesperson said the way the total expenditure was broken up raises "deep suspicion".

For the decoration of Kejriwal's residence, a consultant was appointed for Rs 1 crore, Trivedi claimed.

"They should reveal who the consultant was," he demanded, asking if the consultant was the AAP's "apna aadmi".

"AAP has crossed all the limits.... All the frauds and lies of Kejriwal have been unveiled. Be it curtains, tiles, carpets, fans, he has ensured luxury in everything. He needs air only from the fans worth lakhs of rupees and a palace worth crores of rupees, the BJP spokesperson charged.

When asked what kind of a probe the BJP would want to have in the matter, Trivedi said the issue has three aspects -- legal, political and moral.

"We want and we will look carefully and vigilantly at their reactions and then accordingly and appropriately the government and its agencies will take action...," he added.

The Aam Aadmi Party has accused the BJP of diverting attention from key issues by raising the matter of Rs 45 crore spent on the house.

"Since yesterday, there have been attempts to divert attention from key issues such as the Pulwama attack and the Adani row by discussing the chief minister's residence. It was an 80-year-old house constructed in 1942. There had been not one but three instances of the roof collapsing," AAP MP Sanjay Singh had said on Wednesday.

Countering the claim, BJP leader Trivedi said, "If you are saying the roof was not working, by which logic tiles imported from Vietnam and such costly curtains can support the strength of the roof.