Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi were engaged in a ‘war of words’ on Twitter over the Bungalow extension row on Tuesday.

Minister hits out at the Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi over a tweet in which she called a media report, about her request to Centre to extend her stay at the official bungalow, as fake news.

“This is FAKE NEWS. I have not made any such request to the government. As per the eviction letter handed to me on the 1st of July, I will be vacating the government accommodation at 35 Lodhi Estate by the 1st of August,” said Priyanka Gandhi over twitter referring to a news article.

The article was published by news agency IANS saying that after the government directive to vacate the prime Lutyens real estate property in Lodi Estate, the Centre was approached to allow Priyanka Gandhi to stay there for some more time. Sources close to developments revealed that when the matter was brought to Modi’s notice, he said that her request most certainly be accepted, the report said.

Hardeep Singh Puri countering Priyanka’s claim said on Twitter said, “Facts speak for themselves! A powerful Congress leader with much clout in the Party called me on 4 July 2020 at 12:05 pm to request that 35, Lodhi Estate be allotted to another INC MP so that Priyanka Vadra can stay on. Let’s not sensationalise everything please.”

Priyanka Gandhi quickly reacted on Puri’s remarks and said, “If someone called you Mr Puri, I thank them for their concern, and thank you for your consideration as well but it still does not change the facts: I have made no such request, and I am making no such request. As I said, I will be vacating the house by the 1st of August as required in the eviction letter.”

The war of words between the two leaders did not stop here as the Union Minister replied Gandhi by saying, “The leader who called me, & many others, is at the very top of the Congress hierarchy…the same political advisor who speaks and acts on your family’s behalf. It was when he requested that we decided to give a two month extension in good faith.”

The Government had on July 1 asked Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi to vacate her government accommodation at 35 Lodhi Estate within a month since she is no longer a Special Protection Group (SPG) protectee.

After being served the eviction notice by the government, sources close to Priyanka Gandhi said that she would vacate the house within the stipulated time period.

The action invited massive criticism from the opposition with the Congress terming the Union government’s decision as a “frustrated attempt”.