Akhilesh, staff damaged residence before vacating it: UP officials
Former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav found himself in the centre of a major controversy on Saturday, a day after he formally handed over the keys of his official 4 Vikramaditya Marg residence, that had been allotted to him as former chief minister.
Though Mr Yadav had shifted out of the bungalow on June 2, the keys were handed over to the estate department, late on Friday night.
The officials threw open the bungalow for media on Saturday and when journalists visited the bungalow, they found it in shambles.
Imported Turkish tiles in the swimming pool were ripped off and mud was filled in the pool. The Italian marble were taken off from floors, ACs, imported ceiling and garden lights to bathroom fittings — all were found missing.
Officials said that several costly items and fittings were missing from the bungalow. However, the Samajwadi Party has rubbished reports about the former chief minister leaving the bungalow in shambles and said that there was an attempt to tarnish Mr Yadav’s image as his popularity was continuously growing after the party’s success in the recent by- polls in the state.
Meanwhile, Mr Akhilesh Yadav, who was in Mathura on Saturday, told reporters that the BJP has mastered the art of ‘ cooking stories’.
“In fact, several of my personal belongings including rare plants have been left behind in the bungalow. The state government should stop spreading canards at this level”, he said. The bungalow was reportedly renovated at the cost of over Rs 45 crore in 2016 and was decorated with articles picked by Mr Akhilesh Yadav and family.