Dramatic scenes played out outside the Delhi Chief Minister’s official residence today when Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders reached there to “show the truth” about BJP’s “Sheeshmahal” charge.

Determined to score big in the upcoming Delhi election, the BJP has accused AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal of spending public money on a luxurious upgrade of the official bungalow on 6, Flagstaff Road. To turn the tables, AAP said its leaders would visit the Civil Lines bungalow with the media and then head to the Prime Minister’s residence on 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, to show the revamp there.

When AAP MP Sanjay Singh and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj reached the bungalow with mediapersons, police stopped them, citing a law and order situation. Mr Singh was seen telling a senior officer why police were stopping them. He also said stopping them amounted to a breach of privilege of an MP and a cabinet minister.

“Why can’t we be allowed inside? BJP is spreading misinformation that there is a golden toilet, swimming pool, minibar, so show us and show them (media),” Mr Singh has heard saying.

Mr Bharadwaj was seen asking whose directions they were being stopped on. “Only person above me is the Lieutenant Governor. Who has given you the direction (to stop us)?”

“The BJP’s lie has been exposed, it is now proved that BJP is Bharatiya Jhootha Party. For months, BJP has been saying there is a golden toilet, swimming pool and minibar in this Chief Minister’s residence. We brought you here today. Have you seen? For just two people, they have placed water cannons, so many cops. Are we terrorists? Why are they stopping us? This means BJP is lying. We will wait here for 10 minutes, if the BJP is telling the truth, they should open the Chief Minister’s residence and allow us inside,” Mr Singh said.

Later, the AAP leaders headed to the Prime Minister’s residence, but were stopped.  

The Delhi Chief Minister’s official residence has been vacant since Mr Kejriwal stepped down after being granted bail in a corruption case linked to the now-scrapped liquor policy. The AAP leader has said he would return to the top job only after the “people’s court” verdict.

The BJP has been targeting the AAP with ‘Sheeshmahal’ jabs and a CAG report has given it fresh ammo. The report, filed by Girish Chandra Murmu who retired in November, pointed to a four-fold jump between budgeting for the renovation and the final cost.

Leading the BJP charge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, “You will be shocked to know that when Delhi residents were fighting Covid, wandering in search of oxygen and medicines, their (AAP) focus was on the building Sheesh Mahal.”

AAP’s Sanjay Singh told the media there should be a tour of the Prime Minister’s residence. “BJP is spreading misinformation about the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence. The Prime Minister’s palace worth Rs 2,700 is also in Delhi. We will go to the Chief Minister’s residence and then the Prime Minister’s to expose your lies,” he said yesterday.

Hitting back, BJP’s Pradeep Bhandari told NDTV that AAP has realised it is on the back foot. “The people of Delhi are asking Arvind Kejriwal a basic question, he came to politics promising that he would live in a 2 BHK apartment, that he would not take VVIP security, that was his commitment to the people of Delhi. What is the reality? During Covid, when everybody was suffering and people wanted help, Mr Kejriwal spent Rs 52 crore (on the bungalow). What Sanjay Singh is doing is nothing but melodrama.”

Boby Chemmanur, a prominent businessman in Kerala, has been taken into custody by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) after sexual harassment charges were filed by Malayalam actor Honey Rose, news agency PTI confirmed citing unnamed officials. An official said he was picked by the cops from Wayanad after a case was registered under non-bailable sections against him.

Reacting to the police action, Ms Rose told a news channel it was a peaceful day for her and that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had assured her of strong action when she had raised the issue with him.

In a social media post earlier this week, the actor narrated she was being harassed, but did not name anyone. A barrage of cyberattacks soon followed and dozens of arrests were made by the police.

“Personally, I tend to ignore such awful remarks from mentally disturbed people with contempt and sympathy, but it does not mean that I am incapable of responding to them,” she had said while warning of legal consequences.

Ms Rose, who got her breakthrough role in 2012 in ‘Trivandrum Lodge’, went to the cops this week accusing Chemmanur – who heads a jewellery business – of making “repeated sexually coloured” remarks. After filing a police complaint this week, she revealed the incident occurred four months back, leaving her family disturbed.

Chemmanur is the chairman of the Chemmanur Group, a huge business conglomerate that deals in jewellery. He was instrumental in bringing football legend Diego Maradona to Kerala in 2012.

Following the police complaint against him, an SIT was constituted to probe the charges and the accused was detained on Wednesday.

At least 17 people were injured, one of them critically, when an elephant lost his cool during a temple festival in Kerala’s Malappuram district late last night.

Hundreds had gathered at the Puthiyangadi festival at Tirur. Visuals show at least five elephants adorned with golden plates at the festival as people in the crowd tried to film them. Suddenly, one of them becomes agitated and charges into the crowd as the mahout struggles to control it. This elephant, named Pakkathu Sreekuttan, is then seen lifting a man and swinging him in the air before flinging him away.

The condition of the man is critical, according to reports, and he is being treated at a hospital in Kotakkal. Visuals captured the panic in the crowd as people struggled to run to safety. Most injuries were the result of the stampede-like situation due to the panic.

Some men were seen trying to restrain the elephant with chains. It took nearly two hours to bring the elephant under control.