New Delhi, Sep 14 — Alleging a breach of confidentiality, the Delhi Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday deferred its visit to "Sheesh Mahal" or renovated official residence of former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in north Delhi to verify Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) findings related to financial irregularities in its makeover.
The now-deferred site visit was supposed to look into matters connected to CAG queries on the demolition of the old quarters, new construction, eligibility of contractors, allocation of work and payments at 6 Flagstaff Road bungalow and neighbouring plots.
Explaining the reasons for deferring the site visit, PAC Chairman Ajay Mahawar said, "It is unfortunate that matters relating to the proceedings were made public and an attempt was made to give them a political colour."
"Making confidential proceedings of the Public Accounts Committee public and turning them into a subject of political controversy undermines the dignity of the Committee and the sanctity of the parliamentary process," he added, in an indirect reference to the Delhi Leader of Opposition and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi's public statement on Saturday about the proposed site visit.
He insisted that the Public Accounts Committee will not succumb to any pressure.
"The Committee will continue to function impartially, on the basis of facts and within its prescribed parliamentary jurisdiction," Mahawar said.
"A site inspection is necessary to understand the actual status of all these matters. The site inspection proposed for today was therefore deferred because an attempt was made to give the entire matter a political colour and to influence the independent examination process of the Committee," he added.
Mahawar said, "We will seek the necessary guidance of the Delhi Assembly Speaker (Vijender Gupta), in this matter, and the Public Accounts Committee will undertake the next site inspection at the earliest, in accordance with the requisite permissions and Parliamentary procedure."
He insisted that every step taken by the Committee will strictly adhere to the rules of the Delhi Assembly, established parliamentary practices and its prescribed jurisdiction.
"I would once again make it clear that if political parties wish to engage in mutual allegations and counter-allegations, that is their matter. However, it is not acceptable to turn the Public Accounts Committee into a vehicle for political controversy," Mahawar added.
"Making confidential proceedings of the Committee public, making political statements on their basis, and attempting to exert pressure on the Committee are serious matters. I strongly condemn every attempt to undermine the institution of the Public Accounts Committee, influence its examination process or exert pressure upon it," he said.
Bringing out factual answers to the questions raised in the CAG report and ensuring accountability in the utilisation of public funds is the fundamental responsibility of the PAC, Mahawar added.
The now-abandoned bungalow, or "Sheesh Mahal", had become a major election issue for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that wrested power from the AAP in the 2025 Assembly elections.
Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor has repeatedly criticised AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal for breaking government rules to renovate his erstwhile official residence and indulging in wasteful expenditure.
In July this year, the Delhi Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Verma announced that the now-sealed bungalow will be converted into a state guest house.
In the past, Verma shared a video on social media and described Kejriwal as "Delhi's Rehman Dakait" – a filmy swipe aimed at comparing Kejriwal with an underworld character and extortionist in the Bollywood blockbuster "Dhurandhar". He also shared a spoof video titled "Dhurandhar PART 3".
The video depicted the lavish facilities created for the then Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal at his official residence.