Delhi PAC to visit Sheesh Mahal on Monday to audit Kejriwal-era spending

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Delhi PAC to visit Sheesh Mahal on Monday to audit Kejriwal-era spending

Synopsis

The Delhi Assembly's Public Accounts Committee is set to physically inspect the controversial 'Sheesh Mahal' — Arvind Kejriwal's renovated official bungalow — on Monday. The visit, led by Speaker Vijender Gupta, marks an escalation of BJP's accountability push against AAP over alleged procedural violations and wasteful spending at 6 Flagstaff Road.

Key Takeaways

The Delhi Assembly PAC is set to visit 'Sheesh Mahal' at 6 Flagstaff Road, Civil Lines on Monday, 15 September 2025 .
Speaker Vijender Gupta and PAC Chairman Ajay Mahawar will lead the inspection with cameras to record observations.
The BJP alleges renovations were carried out without approval from DUAC or MCD , and without a full budget sanction.
AAP's Leader of Opposition Atishi has called the expenditure allegations baseless.
PWD Minister Parvesh Verma announced in July 2025 that the sealed bungalow will be converted into a state guest house .

A team from the Delhi Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is set to visit the 'Sheesh Mahal' — the renovated official bungalow of former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at 6 Flagstaff Road, Civil Lines, north Delhi — on Monday, 15 September 2025, to assess alleged irregular expenditure incurred during the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's tenure.

Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta and PAC Chairman Ajay Mahawar are expected to visit the now-abandoned bungalow with cameras and formally record their observations, according to reports.

Background: Why the Bungalow Became a Flashpoint

The 'Sheesh Mahal' controversy was one of the defining issues of the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won, wresting power from AAP. The BJP had repeatedly alleged that Kejriwal sanctioned lavish renovations to his official residence, bypassing regulatory approvals and inflating costs through a series of small-ticket repair tenders rather than a single transparent budget clearance.

The bungalow has since been sealed. In July 2025, BJP government's Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma announced that the sealed property would be converted into a state guest house.

What the BJP Has Alleged

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor has been among the most vocal critics, repeatedly challenging Kejriwal over the renovation. In a recent post on X, responding to AAP Leader of Opposition Atishi's claim that the expenditure allegations were baseless, Kapoor wrote: 'Honourable Leader of the Opposition @AtishiAAPji, what the Assembly Committee will show, what it will reveal — this is within their jurisdiction. But since you yourself have been the Chief Minister, please tell us — why did @ArvindKejriwalji got the bungalow at 6 Flagstaff Road constructed without obtaining approval from @duac74, without getting the map approved from @MCD_Delhi?'

Kapoor further questioned: '…instead of getting the full budget approved, why was it built on the basis of small repair tenders? And yes, if #Kejriwalji had this built as the Chief Minister's residence, then why was it never declared that 'this will now be the residence of the Chief Minister of Delhi?'

AAP's Counter-Position

AAP's Leader of Opposition Atishi has argued that the allegations of wasteful expenditure are baseless, though she has not offered a detailed rebuttal to the specific procedural questions raised by BJP regarding regulatory approvals. The party has characterised the PAC visit as a politically motivated exercise.

What Comes Next

The PAC's on-site visit is expected to generate a formal report that could be tabled in the Delhi Assembly. Minister Verma had previously shared a video on social media depicting the facilities at the bungalow, drawing further public attention to the controversy. The committee's findings will likely sharpen the political battle between the BJP government and AAP in the Opposition, with the 'Sheesh Mahal' file far from closed.

Point of View

It could provide BJP with durable evidence beyond campaign rhetoric. AAP's dismissal of the allegations as baseless, without addressing specific questions on DUAC and MCD approval gaps, is a tactical weakness. The deeper issue is one of institutional accountability: Delhi has no consistently enforced framework for auditing chief ministerial residence expenditure, and the 'Sheesh Mahal' episode may finally force one into existence.
NationPress
14 Sept 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 'Sheesh Mahal' and why is it controversial?
The 'Sheesh Mahal' refers to the renovated official bungalow of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at 6 Flagstaff Road, Civil Lines. The BJP has alleged that the renovation was carried out without requisite approvals from DUAC and MCD, and that costs were obscured by splitting the work into small repair tenders rather than getting a full budget approved.
Why is the Delhi PAC visiting the bungalow?
The Public Accounts Committee is visiting to assess the alleged irregular and wasteful expenditure incurred on the bungalow during the AAP government's tenure. Speaker Vijender Gupta and PAC Chairman Ajay Mahawar will lead the site inspection and record formal observations.
What has AAP said about the allegations?
AAP's Leader of Opposition Atishi has described the expenditure allegations as baseless and has characterised the PAC visit as a politically motivated exercise. However, AAP has not specifically addressed the BJP's questions about missing regulatory approvals.
What will happen to the bungalow going forward?
PWD Minister Parvesh Verma announced in July 2025 that the now-sealed bungalow will be converted into a state guest house. The PAC's findings from Monday's visit are expected to be formally tabled in the Delhi Assembly.
How did the Sheesh Mahal issue affect the 2025 Delhi elections?
The 'Sheesh Mahal' controversy was a major campaign issue for the BJP in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections. The party used it to attack AAP on governance and misuse of public funds, and went on to wrest power from AAP in those elections.
Nation Press
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