Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, currently out on bail in a multi-crore scam, now faces fresh controversy, accused of taking expensive items from his official residence while vacating it. The Public Works Department (PWD), responsible for maintaining government buildings, has released a list of missing items from the property, sparking a political storm. Kejriwal vacated the residence after stepping down, but a scandal has erupted over his chosen successor, Atishi, reportedly moving in without the PWD first conducting a mandatory inventory check. Initially, the PWD stated that Atishi had taken possession without giving them time to record the assets, as required by the protocol. Now, however, the department has compiled a list of missing items—valued in the crores—raising serious questions. This controversy takes place against the backdrop of Kejriwal’s luxurious renovations of his official residence, dubbed ‘Sheesh Mahal,’ during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The construction costs, coupled with reports of extravagant amenities, drew sharp criticism as both Delhi and the country battled the public health crisis. A television channel that initially broke the story faced backlash from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with its reporters allegedly attacked and the channel subsequently blacklisted from the party’s media events.
Before AAP could fully celebrate the release of its key leaders—Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain—Kejriwal finds himself embroiled in a new scandal that could pose a serious threat to his party. With the PWD releasing details of the missing assets and the BJP leading the charge in attacking Kejriwal, this ‘theft’ allegation may escalate into a legal and political nightmare. Much will depend on how the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi handles the situation. A decision to formally investigate the alleged missing items could have grave consequences for both Kejriwal’s image and his party’s ‘Kattarwad’ (honesty) narrative. The optics of this case are damning. While AAP has positioned itself as a party of the people, championing transparency and anti-corruption, this fresh allegation could severely undermine that image. If the allegations hold true, this isn’t just a case of administrative oversight—it suggests an intentional cover-up. Why would Kejriwal, a self-proclaimed advocate of honest governance, feel the need to remove items from his official residence? Was it an attempt to hide the lavish lifestyle he enjoyed during his tenure, away from public scrutiny?
As the PWD is responsible for maintaining government properties and conducting inventories of renovations or repairs, it’s crucial to understand why such an inventory was not completed before Atishi occupied it. Did Kejriwal expect the PWD to turn a blind eye, shielding him from potential embarrassment or future legal repercussions? The missing inventory is no trivial matter—the list reportedly includes items worth crores of rupees. The residence, which was renovated to the tune of several hundreds and thousands of crores, included expensive luxuries like gold-plated toilet seats and wardrobes, raising legitimate questions about AAP’s commitment to austerity and ethical governance. This is where the narrative becomes even more complicated. AAP, already under fire for various alleged financial irregularities, including accusations of receiving overseas funds from groups with questionable motives, now faces this fresh scandal. For a party that claims to stand for clean politics, this could very well be the final nail in its coffin. Kejriwal, once hailed as a revolutionary figure in Indian politics, may now be seen as someone who failed to live up to his own standards of transparency and accountability. Political analysts speculate that the release of AAP’s top leaders, Sisodia and Jain, was meant to signal a resurgence of the party’s fortunes. With key elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand on the horizon, and the Delhi Assembly elections looming early next year, this was supposed to be a time for AAP to regroup and strengthen its narrative against central agencies. But the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ scandal has thrown a wrench into those plans. If the Lieutenant Governor orders a formal probe into the missing items from Kejriwal’s residence, the damage to AAP’s image could be irreversible. The very foundation of Kejriwal’s appeal—his brand of ‘Kattarwad’—may crumble under the weight of this controversy. It begs the question: Is this the beginning of the end for AAP, a party that once promised to clean up politics but now finds itself mired in scandal after scandal? The coming days will reveal whether Kejriwal can weather this storm, or if this controversy will mark a turning point in his political career. What is clear, however, is that the public’s patience with AAP’s self-righteous posturing may be wearing thin.
