Min accuses AAP leaders of lavish spending on smartphones, calls it ‘double standards’

New Delhi: Amid renewed scrutiny over government spending, Delhi Minister Ashish Sood has accused senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, of indulging in excessive expenditure on high-end smartphones during their tenure. Sood alleged that while the BJP-led administration faces unfair criticism, AAP leaders themselves had misused public funds.

Speaking to the media, Sood claimed that between 2017 and 2022, several top AAP leaders frequently purchased expensive smartphones, often exceeding sanctioned spending limits. “We stayed silent for long, but when they try to malign us, we will not hesitate to expose the truth,” Sood said. “During the COVID-19 crisis, Kejriwal, who always claimed to have sacrificed his career to serve the people, bought phones worth over Rs.1.8 lakh. Now they question our intent?”

Citing official records and sanction documents, Sood claimed that Arvind Kejriwal purchased four Apple iPhones during his tenure, including an iPhone 13 Pro Max in 2022 for Rs.1.63 lakh and an iPhone 12 Pro Max in 2020 for Rs.1.39 lakh. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was also named, allegedly buying an iPhone XS for Rs.1.12 lakh in 2019, an iPhone 12 Pro Max for Rs.1.66 lakh in 2021, and an iPhone 13 Pro Max for Rs.1.37 lakh in 2022.

Sood further alleged that Minister Atishi purchased an iPhone 14 Pro Max, reportedly in two installments, Rs.1.28 lakh and Rs.82,999. AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj was also named for buying an iPhone 13 in 2023.

Sood criticised AAP leaders for overspending on phones beyond the Rs.50,000–45,000 cap, calling it extravagance masked as necessity. He questioned missing devices and urged accountability. His remarks follow a July 9 memo raising phone caps to Rs.1.5 lakh for the CM and Rs.1.25 lakh for ministers, with stricter replacement guidelines.