Phone Row In Delhi: BJP Claims Kejriwal, Sisodia Bought High-End Mobiles During AAP's Rule
Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood claimed that AAP leaders purchased multiple mobile phones when the party was in power in the national capital.
Another political slugfest broke out in Delhi over the revised phone reimbursement cap for the Chief Minister and Cabinet with BJP alleging former AAP ministers of purchasing expensive mobiles during their rule.
Kejriwal Bought Phones Worth Lakhs Of Rupees
Delhi Home Minister and senior BJP leader Ashish Sood claimed on Thursday that AAP leaders, including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, purchased several top-end mobile phones–amounting to lakhs and exceeding the allocated reimbursement limits — when the party was in power in the national capital.
Citing an official circular of 2013, Sood said that the Chief Minister and other ministers of Delhi were entitled to purchase mobile phones worth Rs 50,000 and Rs 45,000 respectively, but the AAP ministers, including Kejriwal, holding the top post from 2015 to 2022, bought four latest iPhone models worth lakhs of rupees, news agency PTI reported.
'आम आदमी" का दावा करने वालों का दोहरा चरित्र अब स्पष्ट है। दिल्ली सरकार द्वारा निर्धारित दिशानिर्देशों का उल्लंघन करते हुए, महंगे मोबाइल फोन क्रय किए गए। यह कृत्य उन सिद्धांतों का अनादर है जिन पर वे सत्ता में आए थे। उनका यह आचरण जनसेवा नहीं, बल्कि व्यक्तिगत ऐश्वर्य और सत्ता सुख… pic.twitter.com/Si7KAO0de4 — Ashish Sood (@ashishsood_bjp) July 17, 2025
Showing the documents, the Delhi minister said Kejriwal purchased an iPhone 6s Plus in 2015, costing Rs 81,000, an iPhone 7 Plus worth Rs 69,000 in 2017, an iPhone 12 Pro Max) worth Rs 1.39 lakh during Covid times in 2020 and an iPhone 13 Pro Max, costing Rs 1,63,900, on July 13, 2022.
Sood further claimed that similarly Sisodia purchased five expensive phones between 2017 and 2022, including a Samsung Galaxy S8 with accessories for Rs 59,899 bought in 2017, a Samsung S8 for Rs 49,000 in 2018, an iPhone worth Rs 1.12 lakh in 2020, an iPhone 12 Pro Max for Rs 1.66 lakh in 2021 and an iPhone 13 Pro Max for Rs 1.37 lakh in 2022.
Atishi, and Saurabh Bhardwaj were also named for buying flagship iPhones, with Sisodia allegedly switching phones almost every year between 2017 and 2022.
Sood also claimed that often the mobile phones were purchased by Kejriwal and others and then post-facto approvals were given as those were on the higher side of the stipulated reimbursements.
Rekha Gupta Weighs In
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also weighed in the ongoing controversy with a poetic jibe on social media.
Taking a dig at AAP leaders, Gupta said that the whole matter will be probed.
'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," she said in a post on X.
'आप' की टोपी में, छुपा था पूरा बाज़ार,हर काम में किया घोटालों का व्यापार!ख़ुद के लिए 'ख़रीदे' महंगे मोबाइलअब खुल गई पोल…करो स्माइल!
साँच को नहीं है आँच,इस पूरे मामले की होगी जाँच! https://t.co/olZSQdXSz0
— Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) July 17, 2025
Revised Cap For Phones
At the centre of the current row is a July 9 memo from the Delhi General Administration Department, which revised the price ceilings for government mobile phones for the first time in 12 years. The memo now allows–Rs 1.5 lakh for the Chief Minister and Rs 1.25 lakh for ministers. It also states that phones should not be replaced before two years unless repair costs exceed half of the original price.
AAP's Allegations
Sood's attack on Kejriwal and Sisodia came close on the heels of the AAP slamming the Delhi government over the revised ceiling of mobile-phone reimbursements for the chief minister and other ministers.
AAP's Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj took a dig at the city government over the rate revision, saying although the BJP did not fulfil any of its promises made to the people of Delhi, at least the chief minister and other ministers have been benefitted.
In a statement, the Kejriwal-led party dismissed Sood's charges, saying the BJP is making "false allegations" of corruption to cover up its "betrayal" of people and as a "smokescreen" to shut down the previous government's public-welfare policies in Delhi.
"This is not governance — it is sabotage," the AAP said.
"The AAP government fulfilled its promises without ever saying that we lack funds. The BJP refuses to give women the Rs 2,500 monthly support it had guaranteed. Instead, it is spending the public's money on luxury phones for the chief minister and ministers, hiring four data-entry operators for every MLA," the AAP alleged.
(With inputs from agencies)
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