'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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Bengaluru jail introduces biometric tracking system for prisoners
Bengaluru: In a bid to curb misconduct and illegal activities inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, prison authorities have introduced a new ‘Prisoners Tracking Movement System’ under which inmates will have to undergo biometric verification while entering every barrack.
According to jail officials, biometric systems have been installed across all major sections of the prison, including barracks, visitor rooms, hospital, canteen, kitchen, library, playground, handicraft units and bakery sections. Staff members have also been deployed at these locations.
Officials said inmates visiting the visitors’ room must now obtain a digital token after biometric verification. Details such as the prisoner’s name, identification number and entry time will be updated in the prison software system. This will help authorities maintain a complete digital record of inmates visiting and returning from meeting rooms.
Similar systems have also been introduced at entry points of the hospital, library and other barracks accessed for work-related purposes. Officials said the system will help identify prisoners involved in suspicious or illegal activities with other inmates and enable authorities to track how much time a prisoner spends at different locations inside the prison.
Authorities stated that AI-powered cameras were already being used inside the prison to monitor inmates as well as prison staff. Along with this, digital tracking of prisoner phone calls and a digital token system for visitor meetings have now been added to strengthen surveillance over inmate movement. Officials said the project has been implemented at a cost of around Rs 2.25 crore.
The prison department has also introduced a canteen usage tracking system to monitor prisoners’ spending patterns. Instead of direct cash payments, inmates can purchase bakery items and snacks using wallets or coupons issued within the prison system.
Officials said the digital system will record details including the buyer’s name, items purchased, quantity, date, time and remaining wallet balance. This will allow prison authorities to maintain complete expenditure records of inmates.
