BJP, Congress & AAP fight verbal duel over free power

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress on Thursday accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of misleading the people, after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced plans for free electricity to residents using up to 200 units a month, terming the step an "election gimmick".

While the BJP said Kejriwal looted Rs 8,500 crore as fixed charge and load charge from consumers, the Congress said the AAP government should give free power for at least one year for fleecing Delhi residents for the past one and a half years in the name of fixed charges and pension fund.

Countering the allegations, the AAP said it was providing the cheapest power in the country and the BJP didn't want people to get free electricity.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said his party would start agitation if the money looted from the consumers was not refunded. "If the Delhi government didn't refund the looted money then the BJP will launch a movement. People will penalise Kejriwal for looting them. It's Kejriwal's new tactic of buying votes by making announcement of freebies in view of the elections," Tiwari said.

BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta accused Kejriwal of not ordering CAG audit of power companies to benefit them. He said Kejriwal was a sinking ship and making false announcements ahead of Assembly polls.

"Kejriwal is misleading the people to cover up his failures during four and a half years," he said.

The Delhi Congress too said the announcement was "yet another election gimmick by the Kejriwal government after making some nominal cuts in the power tariff with an eye on the Assembly elections."

Congress spokespersons Ramakant Goswami, Jitender Kumar Kochar and Harnam Singh slammed the AAP government for fleecing people and then promising free power.

AAP spokesperson Atishi said Tiwari didn't want Delhi residents to get free 200 units of electricity. It became possible as Delhi elected an honest and educated Chief Minister who led the power sector transformation.

The AAP leader demanded CBI probe into power scams in other states that were keeping tariffs high.

Criticising the BJP and Tiwari, Atishi said, "As many as 60 per cent of Delhi's households consume less than 200 units a per month. What's wrong in providing them free power?"

She said, all MPs, including Tiwari, officers are beneficiaries of free electricity paid for by taxpayers. "If Tiwari disapproves of free power to common man, why doesn't he give up the perks on electricity, housing, vehicle and others that he is getting at the cost of taxpayers?"

( With inputs from IANS )