Sheesh Mahal Row Returns? Panel To Inspect Arvind Kejriwal's Former House

6, Flag Staff Road, New Delhi. The address became a headache for the Aam Aadmi Party and a major 2025 assembly poll issue for the BJP, after the then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was accused of sprucing up the massive bungalow with luxury amenities at the expense of the taxpayers. Mocked as 'Sheesh Mahal' by AAP's detractors, the house and the controversy surrounding it are expected to make a comeback on Monday.

Delhi Assembly's Public Accounts Committee is likely to inspect the property on Monday. The panel, headed by BJP MLA Ajay Mahawar, will examine the work carried out at the bungalow during the AAP's rule and the expenditure incurred from the public exchequer

The inspection, which can pave the way for more attacks on the AAP ahead of the Punjab assembly elections, was triggered by a Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report.

What The CAG Flagged

The accounting body flagged that the renovation was initially estimated at Rs 7.91 crore, but was awarded for Rs 8.62 crore in 2020. By the time the Public Works Department completed the work in 2022, the cost had jumped to Rs 33.66 crore - a whopping 342 per cent increase.

The CAG report said Rs 18.88 crore was spent on "superior specifications, artistic, antique and ornamental" items. It also flagged an increase in the built-up area from 1,397 square metres to 1,905 square metres.

The committee is likely to examine the records and approvals relating to the renovation and seek clarification from officials on the issues highlighted in the audit report.

Also read: Arvind Kejriwal's Ex-Home, Dubbed 'Sheesh Mahal' By BJP, To Be A Guest House

AAP Challenges The BJP

On Sunday, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj dared the BJP to show the alleged "golden commode", swimming pool and liquor bar during the inspection. The party has also sought permission for the media to accompany the panel and demanded that photographs and videos of the visit be made public.

AAP has maintained that the BJP built a political campaign around the bungalow by making unsubstantiated claims. The BJP, however, has continued to target Kejriwal over the cost and scale of the renovation.

The Sheesh Mahal issue had become a major feature in the BJP's poll campaign for the 2025 Delhi assembly elections. The party had accused Kejriwal and AAP of wasting public money on personal luxuries - a charge regularly denied by the AAP.

The BJP won 48 seats in the election, while the AAP was reduced to 22.

The controversy resurfaced in Punjab after Kejriwal shifted his political base to the state following AAP's defeat in Delhi. In 2025, the BJP dubbed a government bungalow in Chandigarh "Sheesh Mahal 2.0" and accused the AAP chief of enjoying a lavish lifestyle. AAP rejected the charge and sought proof.

The reconstructed bungalow had served as Kejriwal's official residence until October 2024. He vacated the premises after resigning as chief minister under intense political scrutiny from the BJP.