Scores of BJP workers including its Delhi President Vijay Goel were on Sunday evening detained when they tried to carry out a candlelight march towards Chief Minister Sheila Dixit’s residence in New Delhi demanding immediate roll back of power tariff hike announced two days back.
The BJP workers were stopped by police when they tried to take out a march towards Ms. Dikshit’s official residence at 3, Motilal Nehru Marg in Central Delhi.
Police resorted to the use of water cannons when some of the protesters tried to break barricades. Some of the party activists along with Mr. Goel and other senior leaders were detained by police and taken to Tuglaqabad police station.
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They were later released.
The party held candlelight processions in various areas across the city as a part of its agitation to demand immediate withdrawal of power tariff hike.
“The people of Delhi will not tolerate this hike. The Delhi Government and Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) have hiked the tariff so many times in the last two years. They are hand in glove with the private power distribution company. We will not stop this agitation till the electricity rates are brought down”, said Mr. Goel addressing the gathering at Ashoka Road.
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The DERC on Saturday hiked the tariff for domestic consumers by five per cent, heeding to the demands of the distribution companies.
But with the regulator waiving the fuel surcharge and the city Government swiftly announcing a subsidy for those limiting their monthly consumption to 400 units, the tariff will in effect come down marginally for low-end consumers.
The BJP on Saturday had announced an agitation and Mr. Goel had indicated that party will make it a major political issue in the run up to the assembly elections in November.
He had also said that the party will hold major rallies on August 11 at the Ram Leela ground.