The controversy surrounding the so-called “Sheesh Mahal” has resurfaced in Delhi after fresh claims and counterclaims between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party. The latest dispute began when BJP leader and minister Parvesh Verma publicly shared images that he alleged showed the new government bungalow of Arvind Kejriwal, referring to it as “Sheesh Mahal 2.”
The images were presented during a press conference and were claimed to depict Kejriwal’s new official residence located at 95, Lodhi Estate. However, the claims were quickly challenged by AAP leaders, who questioned the authenticity of the visuals and accused the BJP of misleading the public.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi responded strongly to the allegations, stating that the images circulated by Verma were not genuine and had in fact been sourced from Pinterest, a widely used platform for sharing and discovering visual content. She highlighted that the images closely resembled those already available online, suggesting they were not connected to Kejriwal’s residence.
In a post on social media, Atishi criticised the BJP for allegedly using random images to make false claims. Her remarks came after a political commentator pointed out striking similarities between the images presented at the press conference and those found on Pinterest. She described the episode as an attempt to mislead the public using unauthenticated visuals.
The issue has reignited political tensions, especially in light of the earlier “Sheesh Mahal” controversy in 2025, when the BJP accused Kejriwal of extravagant spending on his official residence. That controversy had become a major political issue and was seen as one of the contributing factors to AAP losing power in Delhi.
Kejriwal, who has served two terms as Chief Minister, recently moved into a Type-VII government bungalow at Lodhi Estate, which has now become the center of the renewed dispute. The BJP’s allegations appear to be aimed at reviving concerns over alleged luxury and expenditure, while AAP maintains that the claims are baseless and politically motivated.
In a pointed remark, Atishi also took a dig at Verma, suggesting that if the intent was to fabricate visuals, more advanced tools like artificial intelligence could have been used, implying that the alleged use of readily available online images made the claim easy to expose.
The exchange has added another layer to the ongoing political rivalry between the two parties, with both sides using the issue to question each other’s credibility and intentions in the public domain.
