7-star mansion with 46 ACs: Sushil Modi slams Tejashwi Yadav for living like a 'king'

Maintenance of the bungalow in its current shape would be like 'maintaining an elephant,' said the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister.

ANI photo

PATNA: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, who shifted to his allotted government bungalow recently vacated by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, has compared it to a seven-star luxury resort that can put top-end hotels to shame.

“46 AC wale bungalow mein rehte the Tejashwi, five-star hotel bhi fail (Tejawshi lived in a bungalow with 46 ACs, even five-star hotels will fall flat in front of it)” tweeted Modi.

46 एसी वाले बंगले में रहते थे तेजस्वी, फाइवस्टार होटल भी है फेल... pic.twitter.com/Vrqasfo5VF — Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) February 20, 2019

Lambasting Yadav for wasting public funds and occupying the bungalow illegally, Modi questioned how could someone think about the welfare of poor and backward classes while continuing to live in such a luxury mansion.

“It feels like we've entered a 7-star hotel. Everything is special and nothing is ordinary. Crores have been spent on this bungalow,” he said adding that the maintenance of the bungalow in its current shape would be like "maintaining an elephant".

"It would be quite difficult for me," he said.

He added that the “five-star” bungalow was 100 times better that Patna Raj Bhavan - the official residence of Bihar Governor.

वे 46 एसी वाले बंगले में रह कर गरीबों, दलितों-पिछड़ों, किसानों, मजदूरों के लिए सोचते होंगे या बंगले में ऐश-ओ-आराम के नये-नये साधन जुटाने के बारे में ? जो व्यक्ति राजभवन से सौ गुना बेहतर पांच-सितारा आवास पर अवैध कब्जा बनाये ऱखने के लिए खर्चीली कानूनी लड़ाई लड़ रहा हो, उसे.... pic.twitter.com/ysXQWJIkyW — Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) February 20, 2019

Modi moved into the bungalow at 5, Deshratna Marg adjacent to the Chief Ministers official residence on Tuesday.

"I am stunned to see the extravagant decoration and furnishing of the bungalow, which surpass those at the Raj Bhawan and 1, Anney Marg (official residence of the CM). There has been a splurge as if it were meant for some raja-maharaja," he told reporters.

"I can now see the reason behind the obsession with this bungalow. Money has been blindly spent on its decoration, he said adding that crores (of rupees) must have been spent to lend the bungalow its current grandeur".

Modi added that he would apprise Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the matter and will request him to personally visit the premises and "get a glimpse of the lavish lifestyle of his former deputy".

"I will also request Kumar to consider shifting to 5 Deshratna Marg as the grandest bungalow should belong to the chief minister," the senior BJP leader remarked in a lighter vein.

Yadav was involved in a protracted legal battle over the occupancy of the government bungalow, located on 5, Deshratna Marg in Bihar's capital city Patna.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court dismissed Yadav's plea, challenging a previous Patna High Court order asking him to vacate the bungalow, and ordered him to shift to the accommodation allotted to the leader of the Opposition. The apex court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader for pursuing litigation up to the top court even after two benches of the high court dismissed his plea.

Yadav, who lost the deputy chief ministers chair in July 2017 when allegations of corruption against him led Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to walk out of the Grand Alliance and realign with the BJP, has been allotted 1, Polo Road the bungalow previously occupied by Modi.

He is, however, yet to take possession of the bungalow after having vacated 5, Deshratna Marg last week.

Following Modi's claim of Yadav' recently vacated bungalow containing five-star facilities, Bihar Building and Construction minister Maheshwar Hazari on Thursday questioned the funding process of installing such facilities.

“Ministers were eligible to spend only Rs 3 lakhs in five years, so either he used his own money or funds were used from the department,” said Hazari.

“The department will conduct a high-level inquiry (in the matter),” he added.

With PTI and ANI inputs