Union Minister Malhotra slams extravagance of ‘gold-plated’ commodes at Delhi CM’s residence

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Harsh Malhotra on Wednesday questioned the extravagance of the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence, citing reports of “gold-plated commodes and washbasins,” and criticized the Congress for proposing the ‘Jeevan Raksha Yojana’ in Delhi, asking why the scheme was not announced in states governed by the party.

Malhotra said, “Have you ever seen gold-plated commodes and washbasins even in the residence of any royal in the world?” He also questioned Congress’s commitment to the scheme, asking, “Have they announced this scheme in states where they have a government that they are announcing it here in Delhi?”

#WATCH | Delhi | On Delhi CM’s residence row, Union Minister Harsh Malhotra says, “Have you ever seen gold-plated commodes and washbasin even in the residence of any royal in the world?

On Congress proposing ‘Jeevan Raksha Yojana’ in Delhi, he says, “Have they announced this… pic.twitter.com/4tqsyt99SR

— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2025

Adding to the political discourse, BJP candidate Ashish Sood said, “This is not an announcement of the election date; it’s an announcement for the date when Delhi will be free of the AAP-DA government.” He continued, criticizing Congress for not implementing the ‘Jeevan Raksha Yojana’ in states where they hold power. “They didn’t implement this scheme in states where they have a government. How will they implement schemes in a place where they get only 2,000 votes?” Sood added.

Responding to these allegations, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj addressed the claims regarding the Chief Minister’s residence during a press conference. He challenged the rumours about extravagant amenities, saying, “I will try to find out where is the Alishan Swimming Pool, 6 Flagstaff Road. I was told that there are gold commodes in the washroom. I will try to find out where is the golden commode”.

Bharadwaj further poked fun at the allegations, adding, “I was also told that there is a bar in the Chief Minister’s residence to drink alcohol. Will try to find that too”. Bharadwaj also addressed claims surrounding the CM’s residence. “We will also check the residence of the Prime Minister and check what kind of facilities are being provided at the PM’s residence,” he remarked, clarifying that both the CM’s and PM’s residences are government properties, not personal residences.

He continued, “Let me make these things clear, both the PM’s and CM’s residences were built during Covid times, both the residences are government residences and not personal. Both the residences are built by using taxpayers’ money — and hence we think that the BJP won’t have any issue with the media’s presence in the PM’s residence.” (ANI)