Sheesh Mahal or Camp Office? Punjab's CM Fights Back Against BJP's Lavish Claims

There's always a new political storm brewing, isn't there? And this time, it seems Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann found himself right in the eye of it, facing a rather colorful accusation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They've been circulating videos, you see, pointing fingers and quite dramatically suggesting that Mann is living it up in a "Sheesh Mahal" – essentially, a glass palace – a symbol of ostentatious luxury, or so they'd have us believe.

But Mann, well, he wasn't about to take that lying down. Not for a moment. He hit back, and with some considerable force, dismissing the whole "Sheesh Mahal" narrative as, frankly, a load of old cobblers. He clarified, rather firmly, that the place in question is nothing more than his official residence, doubling as a perfectly functional camp office. And in truth, it's a dwelling he inherited, if you will, from a long line of previous Chief Ministers, hardly a custom-built extravagance.

The CM then went on the offensive, because, let's be honest, that's often how these political exchanges go, isn't it? He accused the BJP of — wait for it — spreading outright lies. And perhaps even a touch of hypocrisy. He specifically called out BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh, reminding everyone of Chugh's own past antics. You know, the time Chugh famously took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a 'Rs 10 lakh suit,' only to perform a swift, almost acrobatic, U-turn later? It was a clever little jab, you could say, highlighting a certain... inconsistency.

Mann didn't stop there, no sir. He posed a pretty pointed question, actually: why, he wondered aloud, doesn't the BJP ever raise an eyebrow about the reported Rs 1,000 crore splashed out on the Prime Minister’s residence? And while he was at it, he also drew attention to former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh's tenure, recalling how crores were allegedly spent on his official residence before, perhaps ironically, it was then privatized. It really does make you think about who's pointing fingers and why, doesn't it?

He rounded off his defense by emphasizing his own comparatively modest lifestyle. He pays his own phone bills, for instance. He doesn't claim travel allowances. He’s often seen flying economy, if you can believe it. These small details, he suggested, paint a very different picture from the lavish image the BJP was trying to conjure. It's about transparency, he implied, and about being accountable to the very people he serves. A fair point, one might argue.

Ultimately, this whole episode feels like just another chapter in the endless saga of political sparring. Accusations fly, defenses are mounted, and the public, for once, is left to sort through the rhetoric. But one thing is clear: when it comes to the "Sheesh Mahal," Bhagwant Mann is certainly not letting the glass shatter without a fight.