Delhi's phone war: BJP alleges AAP leaders bought mobiles with government funds; AAP attacks rise in purchase cap
NEW DELHI: Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood on Thursday alleged that AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia purchased several top‑of‑the‑line mobile phones on government funds.
Citing a 2013 government circular that allows the chief minister and ministers to buy phones worth up to Rs 50,000 and Rs 45,000 respectively, Sood showed documents that suggested Kejriwal bought an iPhone 6s Plus for Rs 81,000 in 2015, an iPhone 7 Plus for Rs 69,000 in 2017, an iPhone 12 Pro Max worth Rs 1.39 lakh during the Covid period in 2020, and an iPhone 13 Pro Max for Rs 1.63 lakh in July 2022.
He further said Manish Sisodia had purchased five expensive handsets between 2017 and 2022, including Samsung Galaxy S8 models costing nearly Rs 60,000 and iPhones priced between Rs 1.12 lakh and Rs 1.66 lakh.
Former minister Atishi too allegedly bought a phone for Rs 1.27 lakh in 2023, though the entitled reimbursement was only Rs 45,000.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta also weighed in with a poetic jibe on social media. She wrote, 'AAP's cap was hiding a whole market — every move filled with scams! They bought costly phones for themselves, now the truth is out so smile! The truth fears no one, and this matter will be investigated.'
The allegations from the Delhi BJP come after AAP criticised the recent move by the Delhi government that raises the stipulated limit for purchase of mobile phones by the chief minister and ministers to Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 1.25 lakh respectively.
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The party accused the BJP of neglecting women's monthly support schemes and instead spending public money on luxury phones and extra staff for MLAs.
The Aam Aadmi Party rebutted the allegations by Sood, calling them "false" and a 'political sabotage' aimed at derailing the previous government's welfare initiatives. AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj pointed out that the BJP had failed on its promises to the people of Delhi and was now targeting opposition leaders with 'smokescreen' charges.
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