The Central government has initiated a special audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India into alleged irregularities in the reconstruction of the Delhi chief minister's residence, the latest in the series of friction points between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Officials at Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena office said on Tuesday the Union home ministry has recommended the special CAG audit taking note of a May 24 letter by the LG which pointed out the "gross and prima facie financial irregularities" in the reconstruction of Arvind Kejriwal's official residence.
While the BJP welcomed the move, the AAP reacted furiously claiming a CAG audit was already conducted last year when "no evidence of financial irregularities" was found. The latest move "reeks of desperation" as the BJP fears a defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll, it said.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, "The CAG is the country's top most audit body of high repute and its inquiry will soon bring out under whose pressure PWD officials violated laws and constructed the palatial bungalow for the chief minister otherwise eligible for only a Type VII bungalow accommodation."
The Congress, meanwhile, said a full-blown criminal investigation is required into the "egregious expenditure of Rs 171 crore" on the renovation, with its leader Ajay Maken welcoming the CAG audit into the "squandering" of public funds on Kejriwal's "sheesh mahal".
In his May 24 letter to the MHA, Saxena said the "alleged irregularities" were highlighted by the media after which Delhi's chief secretary submitted a factual report on April 27 and then again on May 12.
The reports detailed "deviations, violations from rules, regulations and guidelines" by the Public Works Department and the Delhi government "in the name of renovation of the Chief Minister's residence", he said.
A full-fledged construction/re-construction of a new building was effected by the PWD in the name of renovation, the LG's letter said, citing the reports.
"Initially the proposal was to provide additional accommodation in the residence of the Chief Minister, however later on the proposal was approved by the minister for an entirely new construction after demolition of the existing building," said the letter.
The initial cost for construction work was Rs 15 to Rs 20 crore, the report said, adding it was inflated from time-to-time, it said.
As per the report, a total expenditure of Rs 52,71,24,570 (approximately Rs 53 crore) has been spent till date which is more than three times the initial estimate, the letter said.
The Aam Aadmi Party issued a caustic statement, condemning the Centre's move. "This move by the Modi government reeks of desperation as the BJP anticipates an inevitable defeat in the upcoming 2024 general elections," it said. "As far as the CAG inquiry into the reconstruction expenses of the Chief Minister's residence, it is important to note that it was already conducted last year, revealing no evidence of financial irregularities."
Initiating a fresh audit is a "clear reflection" of the BJP's "frustration, paranoia, and authoritarian tendencies", it said.
The BJP is troubled by its successive electoral defeats in Delhi assembly polls, the AAP said, adding the CAG move is an attempt to tarnish the "reputation" of Delhi's "honest government".
In its attempt to seek "revenge", the BJP is "inadvertently orchestrating its own downfall through such chaotic and ill-conceived actions", the AAP said, while
accusing the saffron party of engaging in clandestine efforts to undermine the established power structure.
"Conducting a CAG inquiry is a prerogative of an elected government, and by interfering in the affairs of the Delhi government, the central government is violating constitutional principles," it noted.
The party also claimed that the "concocted allegations" such as this one and the "liquor scandal" are "part of a carefully orchestrated drama designed to divert public attention from the massive scams involving Adani".
"This systematic targeting of opposition leaders one after another reveals the underlying agenda of the BJP. If the Prime Minister truly possesses the courage he claims, he should order a comprehensive investigation into the Adani scam by a Joint Parliamentary Committee," the party added.
"Moreover, the CAG or other central agencies should also conduct thorough investigations into the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, the Chanda (donation) scam in Ayodhya Ram Temple, and the various scandals involving the Chief Minister of Assam," the party added.
The issue of reconstruction of CM's residence had earlier triggered a political slugfest in the national capital with BJP demanding a probe into the matter, and the AAP saying the house was built in 1942 and was a dilapidated structure.
