BJP protests against Kejriwal over high power bills, water woes in slums

The Delhi BJP on Sunday protested against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over allegedly high electricity bills and dirty water in slums of East Delhi's Chitra Vihar.

City BJP president Virendra Sachdeva led the protest and alleged the people of the area face lack of basic facilities. They also have to pay high power and water bills, and they get dirty water.

"What is the mistake of these slum-dwellers that they are getting this dirty water? They live in Delhi where Kejriwal makes false promises. He does not fulfil any promise," Sachdeva said.

Responding to the allegations, the AAP said the BJP must end "such theatrics" as they are responsible for the woes of slum-dwellers.

 

"The BJP rendered Delhi's 'jhuggi' dwellers homeless through large-scale demolition drives by its agencies, including the Delhi Development Authority, Railways, and the Archaeological Survey of India," an AAP leader told PTI.

Shyam Bai, a slum dweller, told PTI Videos that "the problem is that we are not getting clean water. We have been living here for 40 years; nobody is giving us a place to live. We are fed up with paying high electricity bills."

"We don't have a place for washrooms, and there are 12 people in the family, and we only get 15 kilograms of food to eat," she added.

Jyoti, another slum-dweller, said the biggest problem is the lack of medical facility in the area. "We want at least a dispensary to be there so that we don't have to go far away for minor health issues."

"Delhi elections will be held in the next few months, and when a BJP chief minister will be there in the national capital, all these bills will be reimbursed. So, I have requested all these people to keep these bills with them," Virendra Sachdeva said.

However, the AAP said the BJP, which ruled the MCD for 15 years, "had one primary responsibility -- cleaning and sanitation -- which they failed to deliver".

"And today, these 'jhuggi' dwellers enjoy access to free 24x7 electricity and water because of AAP in MCD. The BJP has only issued demolition notices, threatening their homes through its agencies," it added.