'Hookah Party Funded By Taxpayers' Money?': AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj Attacks Delhi's Dy CM Pravesh Verma Over Diwali Celebration At Latter's Residence

New Delhi: A Diwali celebration hosted by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Pravesh Verma at his official residence on Sunday night has triggered a political exchange after videos and photographs from the gathering showed him smoking a hookah.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned whether public money was used to organise the event, while the BJP defended the gathering as a celebration of cultural identity.

Bharadwaj Questions Funding Behind Lavish Diwali Celebrations

Sharing images of Verma with a hookah on X, Bharadwaj raised questions about the nature of the gathering and the venue. “Diwali Party turned into Hookah party by sitting Minister,” he wrote, asking whether the event was funded by taxpayers' money and whether it was held at a government-allotted bungalow.

Bharadwaj also referred to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's stated position on tackling drug addiction, questioning the contrast between that message and the images from the celebration.

AAP Targets Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

AAP's official social media account also targeted the BJP over the episode. In a post, the party wrote, “Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is selling liquor online, and Minister Parvesh Verma is indulging in dry intoxicants.”

The post further questioned the BJP's claims about fighting drug addiction in Punjab, bringing the issue into the ongoing political criticism between the two parties.

The party was attended by several prominent guests, including Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and BJP MP Manoj Tiwari. Senior journalists and TV anchors also attended the event and shared photographs from the celebration.

BJP Defends Hookah At Diwali Celebration

Verma, meanwhile, shared a video capturing moments from the gathering. The clip showed him welcoming and interacting with guests and dignitaries, and also included footage of him smoking a hookah.

Amid the criticism, Delhi BJP spokesperson Ajay Sehrawat came out in Verma's defence. Responding to the controversy, Sehrawat described the hookah as a symbolic expression of Jat identity.

“It's a symbolic representation of our Jat identity, proudly owned and celebrated by us. I understand you may see it differently, but I hope you can respect its cultural significance and community sentiments,” he said in a post.