The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday slammed the BJP saying a party that claimed to “live simply” and questioned the lifestyle of other leaders is now building a "maya mahal" for Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
AAP’s reaction comes a day after officials said CM Gupta may move into a government bungalow in north Delhi At a press conference here, AAP MLA from Kirari, Anil Jha, alleged, “The BJP always claimed to live simply and questioned the lifestyle of leaders from other parties. But now we’re getting reliable information that the CM is likely to be allotted two adjoining bungalows -- 1/8 and 2/8 Raj Niwas Marg, each with 15 rooms. Renovation orders have already been issued.” There was no immediate response from the Delhi government or the BJP over the allegations. The MLA claimed that preparations at the property include the installation of 14 high-capacity generators of 62 KVA each to ensure uninterrupted electricity. “This is where Delhi will now be governed from – a 'maya mahal'. The same BJP leaders who used to attack Arvind Kejriwal for spending are now silent,” he said.
Previously, the Bharatiya Janata Party termed the 6 Flagstaff Road residence of former Delhi chief minister Kejriwal a "Sheesh Mahal". Jha also pointed to what he called a broader trend of extravagance in BJP-ruled states. “In Uttarakhand, the CM stays in a 'rang-mahal' with 60 rooms. In Madhya Pradesh, there is an 'aishwarya-mahal' for the CM. And here in Delhi, the CM who once travelled in a normal car now moves with a 13-car cavalcade,” he said.
Echoing similar sentiments, senior AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, in a post on X, said, "For the Delhi CM, two large government bungalows with 15 rooms each are being combined to form the Maya Mahal." Most of the cabinet ministers in the new BJP-led Delhi government have already been allotted official residences in the city.