Speaker rejects Yadav’s allegation of spending Rs 2.35 cr on house renovation

The office of Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta has rejected the allegations made by Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav about “exorbitant” spending on the renovation of the Speaker’s official residence, calling his remarks baseless and misleading.

In a letter addressed to Yadav, Vineet Kumar, Secretary to the Speaker, said the Speaker had taken a serious note of Yadav’s claim that over Rs 2.35 crore had been spent on renovating the Speaker’s bungalow, including Rs 94.69 lakh allegedly used only for bathrooms and toilets.

Yadav had dubbed the bungalow as “Shauch Mahal” (Toilet Palace) while accusing BJP leaders of misusing public money for their “royal living”.

Refuting the charge, the Speaker’s Secretary said the residence referred to by Yadav — 9, Shamnath Marg — is not the official residence of the Speaker. “The Speaker has condemned your statements and denied them totally. Such statements to the media, without ascertaining the facts, should be avoided,” the letter said.

The Speaker’s Office has demanded that Yadav withdraw his statements immediately and submit an unconditional written apology within three days of receiving the notice. The letter reminded Yadav, who is a former MLA, to show respect for the constitutional office and not drag it into political controversies for “scoring points”.

On Sunday, Yadav had lashed out at BJP leaders for allegedly spending lavishly on official residences while the public suffers from power cuts and water shortages in Delhi’s heatwave. Citing documents, he claimed that expensive tiles, showers and fittings were part of a “royal renovation” of the Speaker’s bungalow, costing more than even the controversial upgrades at Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s residence, which he earlier dubbed “Phoolkumari Niwas”.

Yadav also linked the issue to factionalism within the BJP’s Delhi unit, claiming there was now an undeclared contest among leaders to outdo each other in “royal spending” and misuse of public funds.

The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) has responded to a letter from the Speaker’s Office, defending its statement on the renovation costs of the Speaker’s official residence. In its reply, the DPCC maintained that its figures were accurate and drawn from publically available information and official government records, including the updated Delhi Government website.

The party argued that raising concerns over “excessive expenditure” is a legitimate act of accountability, especially given that the Speaker had previously questioned similar spending by the former AAP government. The DPCC urged the Speaker to review the issue with fairness and uphold transparency in public spending.

Delhi