AAP burns a Holi fire of ‘inflated’ bills

Even as Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal’s health showed a slight dip, scores of AAP volunteers and residents of Sundar Nagari in northeast Delhi on Tuesday lit a pile of “inflated” power and water bills as a symbolic Holika Dahan.

Even as Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal’s health showed a slight dip, scores of AAP volunteers and residents of Sundar Nagari in northeast Delhi on Tuesday lit a pile of “inflated” power and water bills as a symbolic Holika Dahan.

HT Image

Kejriwal, a diabetic, has been on indefinite fast since Saturday as part of his “civil disobedience movement”. In the evening, his blood pressure read 114/70 while his pulse was 75. “His sugar was 85 and he has lost 5kg,” the medical team said.

Kejriwal’s currently weighs 60kg and traces of ketones have started appearing in his urine samples.

Addressing the supporters, Kejriwal said his health has deteriorated. “Sharir kamzor zaroor hai, magar hausala buland hai (I am only physically weak, but my spirit has not been dampened at all),” he said.

At the end of the fourth day, AAP leaders claimed as many as 1.86 lakh people from across Delhi had signed protest letters to be sent to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, pledging that they would not pay inflated power and water bills. The party has claimed these inflated bills are the result of rampant corruption and connivance of power discoms and the government.

DC Prajapati, general secretary of Delhi Resident Welfare Association Federation - an association of 51 RWAs - pledged the group’s support to AAP.

Kejriwal and his party members launched a civil disobedience movement on March 23 against illegal and inflated power and water bills. Apart from Kejriwal’s fast at Sundar Nagari, AAP volunteers are collecting letters signed by residents of 264 wards, pledging not to pay power and water bills.