New Delhi/IBNS: In a fresh setback for Arvind Kejriwal, who is out on bail in a case related to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam, a court in the national capital has directed to the police to register an FIR against him and others from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for allegedly misusing public funds to put up large hoardings.

Hearing a petition seeking cases against Kejriwal and two other AAP leaders, Gulab Singh and Nitika Sharma, the Rouse Avenue Court directed the Delhi Police to register the FIR.

The court asked for a compliance report by March 18.

The case dates back to 2019 and a lower court had earlier refused to allow the petition.

The petitioner had alleged that Kejriwal, former AAP MLA Singh, and Dwarka councilor Sharma had misused public money with the installation of large hoardings across the area.

In the over 10 years that the AAP was in power in Delhi before losing elections last month, the BJP had repeatedly accused the party of misusing public money for its own publicity.

In January, last year, the Directorate of Information and Publicity had also asked the AAP to reimburse Rs 163.62 crore, including interest, for allegedly misusing public funds for political advertisements.

Even in January this year, the BJP had alleged that the AAP spent more on publicising some of its schemes rather than the money actually allotted for them.

It claimed that while Rs 54 crore was allocated to the Business Blasters scheme, Rs 80 crore was spent on promoting it.

For the Desh Ke Mentor scheme - which was meant to connect voluntary mentors with students of Classes 9-12 in Delhi government schools - the BJP claimed only Rs 1.9 crore was allotted and Rs 27.9 crore was spent on its publicity.

The figures for the Stubble Management scheme were an allotment of Rs 77 lakh against nearly Rs 28 crore spent on promotion.

However, the AAP has denied all the charges.

The BJP has also targetted Kejriwal and the AAP for the money spent on the renovation and alleged extravagances at the Delhi chief minister's bungalow, which the saffron party has derisively termed 'Sheeshmahal' when the AAP chief held the top job in the Delhi government.

The AAP has justified the renovations claiming that the new furnishings and upgrades were necessary as the chief minister's residence had been built in 1942 and needed a complete overhaul.

The party also claimed that the Public Works Department had recommended the changes, but the issue is seen to have cost Kejriwal and the party dear in the Delhi Assembly elections.