BJP burns power bills, demands resignation of AAP government

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New Delhi, July 12

The Delhi BJP staged a protest on Friday at the Secretariat, condemning the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over the power “tariff hike under the guise of the Power Purchase Adjustment Cost (PPAC)” in the city. Led by Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, the protest gained momentum as demonstrators demanded the immediate resignation of the Kejriwal government.

During the demonstration, which saw a tense standoff with the police, Sachdeva was briefly detained and later released. BJP representatives, along with members of Residents Welfare Associations (RWA), symbolically burnt their electricity bills to highlight public outcry against what they perceive as unjust financial burdens imposed by AAP-supported discoms.

“We strongly oppose the introduction and re-imposition of PPAC by the Kejriwal government,” asserted Sachdeva. He criticised the AAP’s strategy of maintaining stable per-unit electricity rates while significantly raising ancillary charges like PPAC, which has surged from 1.7 per cent in 2015 to a staggering 37 per cent, with projections to reach 46 per cent with the proposed hikes.

Sachdeva accused Kejriwal of granting legal legitimacy to PPAC, exacerbating the financial strain on Delhi residents amid escalating pension surcharges and tripled meter and load surcharges over the past decade. He argued that proper pre-payment strategies for power procurement could have mitigated the need for such charges.

MP Yogender Chandolia emphasised the economic distress caused by rising electricity rates under Kejriwal’s tenure. “The people of Delhi are facing severe financial burdens due to inflated electricity bills, compounded by water scarcity issues,” Chandolia remarked.

MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat criticised Kejriwal’s governance, pointing out discrepancies between promises and actions. “Kejriwal promised affordable living conditions but failed to deliver, opting instead for increased security measures while neglecting basic amenities like water supply,” Sehrawat asserted.