Arvind Kejriwal's House: From Roof Collapses to Safety Audit During Covid

Photo : PTI

In July 2020, a fresh construction plan was proposed for 6, Flag Staff Road, the official residence of Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The proposal stated that fixing up the existing ground floor or adding an extra floor was not possible because the building was old and had load-bearing walls. 

This issue, which has been growing over the past few years, has recently come into the spotlight again, mostly
as the Delhi Assembly elections approached. The opposition BJP has criticized the renovations, calling the house “Sheesh Mahal.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have both mentioned it at various events, accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of dishonesty. Modi even referred to the house as an example of their deceitfulness during a rally in Rohini in December 2024.

The controversy began in 2020 when parts of the CM’s house began to collapse. During the COVID-19 lockdown, the roof of the toilet collapsed, which led to a safety audit of the house and subsequent renovation work. The property was built in 1942 and originally had five bedrooms and an office space. Kejriwal moved in with his family after becoming Chief Minister in 2015.

In March 2020, Satyendra Jain, the then Public Works Department (PWD) Minister, suggested remodelling the house’s ground floor and adding an extra floor, calling it "urgent." Later, in July 2020, fresh construction work was proposed since remodelling was not possible due to the age of the building. This raised concerns, especially among BJP leaders, who noticed the work happening despite the national lockdown. They questioned how construction was going on when such activities were prohibited.

On May 8, 2023, Congress leader Ajay Maken filed a complaint, which led the Lieutenant Governor to order an inquiry into the renovation’s alleged violations and high costs. In 2023, the CBI also started a preliminary investigation into the matter. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) suspended three engineers for their involvement in the illegalities.

In August 2024, the Delhi Vigilance Directorate ordered the PWD to investigate who provided the "luxurious items" found in the house. Kejriwal vacated the house in October 2024, just after resigning as Chief Minister following his release on bail in a separate case. The PWD then took possession of the house and began cataloguing its contents. His successor, Atishi, did not move into the house.

In December 2024, the BJP released videos showing the lavish interiors of the house, along with a rap song mocking Kejriwal. The AAP responded by saying the BJP was trying to distract from the city’s law and order issues. They defended the renovations, explaining that the old house was in poor condition and that Kejriwal's elderly parents and young children also lived there.

The AAP also argued that the house was not Kejriwal’s personal property, and would be used by future Chief Ministers. A government audit revealed that the cost of the renovation, initially estimated at Rs 7.91 crore, had risen to Rs 33.66 crore by the time the work was completed in 2022. The audit also found that expensive items like curtains worth Rs 96 lakh, kitchen equipment costing Rs 39 lakh, and a minibar worth Rs 4.80 lakh contributed to the cost escalation. 

The issue has sparked a major political debate, with the AAP accusing the BJP of targeting Kejriwal to divert attention from other issues, while the BJP continues to raise concerns about the alleged wasteful spending and procedural lapses during the renovation.

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