Setback for Arvind Kejriwal! Delhi court orders FIR over alleged misuse of public funds
In a setback for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a Delhi court has directed the police to register an FIR against him over allegations of misusing public funds.
FollowIn a major setback for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a Delhi court has directed the police to register an FIR against him over allegations of misusing public funds.
Hearing a petition on Tuesday, the Rouse Avenue Court directed the Delhi Police to register the FIR and asked for a compliance report by March 18. The case dates back to 2019.
The case pertains to purported irregularities in government spending, which the court found serious enough to warrant a police investigation. The ruling adds to the legal troubles of the AAP leader, who has been facing multiple inquiries over financial dealings.
Over the past decade of AAP’s rule in Delhi, the BJP repeatedly accused the party of misusing public funds for self-promotion. In January last year, the Directorate of Information and Publicity demanded that AAP reimburse Rs 163.62 crore, including interest, for allegedly diverting public money toward political advertisements.
Even in January this year, the BJP accused AAP of spending more on advertising certain schemes than their actual allocated budgets. According to BJP’s claims, while Rs 54 crore was allocated for the Business Blasters scheme, Rs 80 crore was spent on publicity. Similarly, for the Desh Ke Mentor scheme—designed to connect voluntary mentors with students from Classes 9-12—AAP allegedly spent Rs 27.9 crore on promotions despite an allocation of just Rs 1.9 crore. For the Stubble Management initiative, Rs 77 lakh was allotted, but BJP claims nearly Rs 28 crore was spent on advertising. AAP has denied all allegations.
The party and its chief, Arvind Kejriwal, also faced criticism from BJP over expenses incurred on the renovation of the Delhi chief minister’s official residence. BJP dubbed it ‘Sheeshmahal’ and accused AAP of extravagance. The party, however, defended the refurbishment, arguing that the CM’s residence, built in 1942, required a complete overhaul based on the recommendation of the Public Works Department.
Despite AAP’s defense, the controversy is believed to have significantly impacted the party’s performance in the Delhi Assembly elections. From a dominant 60-plus seats in the 70-member house in 2019, AAP was reduced to just 22 seats. The BJP, after 26 years, returned to power in Delhi with 48 seats. The final blow came when BJP’s Parvesh Verma defeated Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency by a margin of over 4,000 votes.
Delhi Police is expected to act on the court’s directive soon, escalating the controversy surrounding Kejriwal’s administration.
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