PC Bureau
\Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Tuesday accused the BJP-led central government of evicting her from the official CM residence a day before the Election Commission announced the Delhi Assembly election schedule. The BJP denied her charges and said she never took possession of the CM’s bungalow because she didn’t want to offend Arvind Kejriwal.
“The schedule for Delhi elections was announced today. Last night, the BJP-led central government, for the second time in three months, threw me out of my official residence. The residence, allotted to me as the CM, was snatched away through a letter,” Atishi alleged.
She further accused the BJP of targeting her and her family, saying, “When I was elected as CM, our belongings were thrown on the streets. BJP believes it can stop our work by abusing us, making personal remarks, and taking away our homes. I assure the people of Delhi, the work will continue, even if they take away our house.”
Atishi’s cabinet colleague Saurabh Bharadwaj supported her claims, saying the BJP has been consistently undermining AAP leaders. “They do not care about the welfare of Delhi’s people. Removing Atishi’s belongings from the CM residence once again proves their vindictive politics,” Bharadwaj said.
BJP Responds
Responding to the allegations, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya called Atishi’s claims “false and misleading.”
“Atishi Marlena is lying. She was allotted the Sheesh Mahal on October 11, 2024, but did not occupy it, reportedly to avoid offending Arvind Kejriwal. As per rules, the allotment was withdrawn after three months of non-possession, and two other bungalows were offered to her,” Malviya stated.
Malviya also shared a purported letter from the Delhi government’s Public Works Department (PWD), which confirmed the withdrawal of the Sheesh Mahal allotment and the offering of alternative bungalows at 8 Raj Niwas Lane and Ansari Road in Daryaganj.
The Context
Sources clarified that:
- Atishi was not forcibly evicted; she never moved into the Sheesh Mahal after its allotment.
- The Sheesh Mahal is under investigation by CBI and ED over alleged corruption in its construction.
- Atishi was required to cooperate with these investigations as a condition of the allotment.
- She failed to take possession of the house within the stipulated one-week period, leading to its withdrawal.
An official residence at 17 AB Mathura Road remains allotted to Atishi, alongside the offer of three other residences. BJP alleges that her delay in occupying the Sheesh Mahal was deliberate, potentially to stall ongoing investigations into the property.
As Delhi braces for elections, the escalating dispute highlights the friction between the AAP-led state government and the BJP-led Centre
