Dikshit accepts protest letters; AAP says people's victory

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal vowed that the movement against the inflated bills would continue until the tariffs were brought down

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Sunday accepted the 10,50,000 letters written to her by the Delhi residents over inflated water and power bills following the protest of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at Jantar Mantar here.

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said Dikshit's agreeing to accept the letters is "people's victory".

Kejriwal vowed that the movement against the inflated bills would continue until the tariffs are brought down, and alleged that both the Congress and the BJP have together cartelised the water and electricity sector in the state.

"At 9 a.m. one of my associates, Dilip Pandey, got a call from the Chief Minister's Office saying Sheila Dikshit wanted to talk. Dikshit said she will receive the protest letters. She was compelled to do so because of the people's pressure. She had to bow down to the people," said Kejriwal, while addressing a gathering.

Since the chief minister agreed to accept 10,50,000 letters of protest to her written by the people of Delhi highlighting the inflated bills, the AAP activists called off their scheduled march to her residence, AAP spokesperson Aswathi Muralidharan said.

In the afternoon, AAP activists Manish Sisodia and Kumar Vishwas along with 10 other party members boarded a bus, carrying the protest letters from Jantar Mantar and handed these over to Dikshit's staff around 3 p.m. at her residence at Motilal Nehru Marg in New Delhi's VIP area.

Kejriwal said the movement against inflated water and power bills would continue till the bills are either waived off or the charges are reduced.

"Our aim is not just to submit these (over) 10 lakh letters, but we are seeking action on them. Our protest is unlike that of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Vijay Goel who simply protests for limelight. We have said we won't pay our bills and this movement will continue till these bills are reduced," he asserted.

Kejriwal said the Congress governments both at the centre and in the state had failed to address the issue of water crisis in the national capital.

"Every year, the prime minister says that we will provide water to every household in this country. They have not been able to provide water to Delhi in the past 65 years. How will they provide water to the entire country," he asked.

"Sheila Dikshit has been in power for the past 15 years. Why has not the issue been addressed," he asked. Most of the water tanker companies are owned by leaders of these two parties, and the government was hand in glove with the power discoms, he alleged.

Earlier, Delhi Traffic Police eased the traffic restrictions they had imposed in Janpath-Sansad Marg area due to protests and demonstrations.

Kejriwal fasted for 15 days earlier this month to press his demand for reduction in water and electricity tariffs in the capital.