BJP vs AAP Over Arvind Kejriwal's "High-End" Mobile Phones

Delhi minister and BJP leader Ashish Sood has alleged that former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and ex-deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia purchased multiple high-end mobile phones during their tenure, flouting government spending limits.

Mr Sood accused the AAP leaders of engaging in extravagant expenditure while in power. The controversy, which has sparked a heated exchange between the ruling BJP and the opposition AAP, centres on a recent revision of mobile phone reimbursement ceilings for Delhi's chief minister and ministers.

Mr Sood claimed that Mr Kejriwal, Mr Sisodia, and other AAP leaders consistently exceeded the financial limits set for mobile phone purchases as per a 2013 government circular. The circular, issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) of the Delhi government, claimed that the chief minister was entitled to purchase mobile phones worth up to Rs 50,000, while other ministers were limited to Rs 45,000. 

"We don't want to dig into these matters," Mr Sood said, "but when someone tries to defame our government by grabbing us by the neck, we will expose their misdeeds. During Covid, Arvind Kejriwal - the same man who used to say he and his team left good jobs to serve the nation - purchased phones worth Rs 1.8 lakh each. Such expensive phones! And now they are trying to tarnish our government's image?"

Citing procurement records, Mr Sood alleged that Arvind Kejriwal purchased four expensive phones during his time as Chief Minister, including an iPhone 13 Pro Max in 2022 for Rs 1.63 lakh, an iPhone 12 Pro Max in 2020 for Rs 1.39 lakh, and other Apple models in earlier years. Manish Sisodia, Atishi, and Saurabh Bhardwaj were also named for buying flagship iPhones, with Sisodia allegedly switching phones almost every year between 2017 and 2022.

According to data shared by the Minister:

Manish Sisodia: iPhones in 2019 (XS - Rs 1.12 lakh), 2021 (12 Pro Max - Rs 1.66 lakh), and 2022 (13 Pro Max - Rs 1.37 lakh)

Atishi: iPhone 14 Pro Max reportedly split over two payments - Rs 1.28 lakh and Rs 82,999

Saurabh Bhardwaj: iPhone 13 in 2023

Mr Sood claimed the permissible limit for phones was Rs 50,000 for the CM and Rs 45,000 for ministers under the AAP government. "Yet they kept asking for post-facto approvals and increases in spending limits every year. Where are all those phones now?" he asked.

Mr Sood defended the government's recent memo, saying phones are essential tools for governance. "We get emails, WhatsApp complaints, and citizens reach out directly. It's not a luxury; it's a necessity," he said. But he insisted AAP's repeated device upgrades were excessive. "They commit the act, and then play victim. They evolved in only one thing - corruption."

The BJP minister also accused AAP of creating a false moral high ground. "These are the same people who used to say they left good jobs to serve the nation. Now they're pointing fingers after spending lakhs on phones themselves," he added.

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

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.

The BJP's retaliation comes just days after AAP's Saurabh Bhardwaj criticised the new phone policy, calling it "lavish." On Ashish Sood's allegations against AAP leaders regarding mobile usage, Saurabh Bhardwaj said, "If we were buying, you could have also bought. Why did you increase the limit? You increased it to Rs 1.5 lakh or Rs 1.25 lakh. Why did you increase the limit?"