‘Sheesh Mahal like white elephant, money wasted on it to be returned to Delhi exchequer’

NEW DELHI: The “Sheesh Mahal” bungalow is like a “white elephant” and the Delhi government is yet to decide about its fate, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Monday about the official residence used by Arvind Kejriwal when he was the Delhi CM.

She asserted that it will be ensured that the money “wasted” on it by Kejriwal is returned to Delhi’s exchequer.

Kejriwal lived at 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow in Civil Lines area, branded as “Sheesh Mahal” by the BJP, from 2015 when AAP formed government in Delhi, till he stepped down from the chief minister’s post in September last year.

Addressing ‘Aadhar Infra Confluence 2025, hosted by Panchjanya, Gupta accused AAP national convener Kejriwal of “wasting” the hard-earned money of Delhi people on the construction of the bungalow.

The bungalow renovated under the chief ministership of Kejriwal became a centre of controversy over allegations of corruption and high-priced interiors and household goods. “It is lying as a white elephant with the Delhi government, and we are thinking what to do with it,” Gupta said.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India, in its report, estimated that Rs 33.86 crore was spent on the reconstruction of the bungalow by 2022. However, the BJP leaders claimed the actual cost went up as high as Rs 75-80 crore. CM said it was “painful” to see the wastage of public resources on the “Sheesh Mahal” and asserted that the entire money spent on it will be returned with interest to the government exchequer.