Delhi Speaker Demands Apology From Congress Chief Over Rs 2.35 Crore ‘Shauchmahal’ Claim

In a sharply worded letter dated 7 July 2025, the Office of the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly has formally demanded that Devender Yadav, President of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, retract his recent allegations concerning the renovation of the Speaker’s official residence. The letter, signed by Secretary Vineet Kumar, characterizes Yadav’s claim that “exorbitant” expenses Rs 2.35 crore, including Rs 94.7 lakhs for bathrooms were incurred for the residence as inaccurate and politically motivated.

The letter reprimands Yadav for erroneously identifying the property as “Shauchmahal” at 9, Shamnath Marg, and instructs him to issue an unqualified apology within three days, warning that political points should not be scored at the Speaker’s expense.

Yadav, a seasoned politician who has led Delhi Congress since April 2024 and earlier represented Badli in the Legislative Assembly, had previously supported a Central probe into alleged irregularities in the renovation of former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow dubbed the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ by BJP critics. He contended that during the peak of the pandemic, when Delhi grappled with oxygen shortages and overwhelmed hospitals, such expenditures were indefensible.

The Delhi Congress, under Yadav, has relentlessly challenged both the BJP and AAP administrations on issues of governance, slum demolition, and civic infrastructure, accusing them of peddling empty narratives.

As the Speaker awaits Yadav’s written apology, the confrontation has added another layer to Delhi’s fractious political atmosphere—where questions of accountability, propriety, and public welfare remain highly contested.

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