Arvind Kejriwal lives in 'Sheesh Mahal', flies in jet while calling himself common man: Delhi CM Gupta

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday took a dig at AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal over his claims of having a "reputation of being honest the entire life", saying he was used to living in "Sheesh Mahal" and flying in jets, all the while calling himself a common man.

Even as a court in Delhi discharged the former Delhi chief minister, his deputy Manish Sisodia and 21 others in the liquor policy case, Gupta asked why the excise policy (2021-22) was withdrawn immediately after a probe was launched.

The excise policy was withdrawn in July 2022 by the then AAP government led by Kejriwal after a CBI probe was launched into alleged irregularities and corruption in its formulation and execution.

While Kejriwal asserted that the court's verdict proved that he and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were "Kattar Imandar" (uncompromisingly honest), the Delhi CM termed the claims "mere theatrics".

"You are the person who can fit into a 42-size shirt but still wears a 44-size shirt to show how ordinary you are. You don't feel like staying outside the Sheesh Mahal.

"After (losing in) Delhi, you are living in the Sheesh Mahal of Punjab. You don't prefer travelling except in jets, and you call yourself an honest ordinary man," Gupta said while talking to reporters here.

She was referring to controversies surrounding Kejriwal living in a "lavish" bungalow in Delhi during his tenure as chief minister and now allegedly using the AAP-ruled Punjab government's plane to travel for campaigning in other states.

Gupta sought to know whether Kejriwal feels it was right to offer a bottle of liquor for free with the purchase, raising commission of liquor traders from 5 per cent to 12 per cent, privatising retail liquor sales under the excise policy that was later scrapped in 2022.

From time to time, the high court and the Supreme Court have expressed concern over this, she said, and claimed that evidence of money laundering has been traced by probe agencies.

"You cheated the people of Delhi on dozens of things. Didn't you cheat the people of Delhi through Sheesh Mahal? Didn't you cheat the people of Delhi in the school scam? You left nothing unscathed. Now, you talk about honesty you still don't have," Gupta charged.

The chief minister said that Kejriwal was ousted from power in Delhi because of all his wrongdoings, and that justice will finally be served at a later stage of the case.

The CBI has appealed in the Delhi High Court against the discharge of Kejriwal and other accused in the excise policy case.