'Sheesh Mahal' row: AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjay Singh stopped from entering Delhi CM bungalow
New Delhi (PTI): AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bhardawaj were stopped from entering the Delhi chief minister's official residence, which they had invited the media to tour with them in a bid to counter the BJP's "Sheesh Mahal" jibes.
Police set up barricades and deployed personnel in front of the 6, Flagstaff Road, bungalow, preventing the AAP leaders from entering the premises.
The AAP leaders invited the media on a tour of the chief minister's residence, which the BJP claims was turned into a "Sheesh Mahal" during Arvind Kejriwal's tenure.
Asked if they had sought permission to visit the residence, Singh and Bharadwaj told reporters, "Why should we need permission to enter the chief minister's residence?"
They were seen speaking to officials at the bungalow, requesting permission to be allowed inside.
"Who has instructed you to stop us? I am a minister and I am here for an inspection. How can you stop me and on whose orders? Have you received directions from the lieutenant governor? He is the only authority above my position," Bharadwaj was heard telling an official.
Addressing a press briefing earlier, Bharadwaj had said, "As promised, we will visit the chief minister's official residence at 6, Flagstaff Road, at 11 am and try to find the golden commode, swimming pool, and mini bar that the BJP claims are present there"
"It should be noted that both these properties are government residences. They were built with taxpayers' money and came up during the Covid pandemic. If there are allegations of misappropriation of funds, both should be investigated," he added.
Singh and Bharadwaj also had said that they would take reporters to the prime minister's residence, which AAP has dubbed "Raj Mahal" and claimed was built at a cost of 2,700 crore.
The "Raj Mahal" jibe is part of AAP's counter allegation that the prime minister leads a luxurious lifestyle.
The 6, Flagstaff Road, bungalow has sparked controversy over alleged irregularities in its renovation and costly fittings and household goods present in it.
The BJP has focussed a big part of its assembly election campaign around these allegations, dubbing the bungalow "Sheesh Mahal".
The saffron party's Delhi chief Virendra Sachdeva has claimed that valuable items, including a "golden commode", were missing after the bungalow was vacated by Kejriwal.
On Tuesday, AAP challenged the BJP to open the prime minister's residence for a media visit to reveal the reality while also offering to take reporters on a tour of the chief minister's bungalow.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
