New Delhi: The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) public hearing on Wednesday turned into a political battleground as the Aam Aadmi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party accused each other of hooliganism and violence.
Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said he had filed a complaint at the Lodhi Road police station against Aam Aadmi Party “loyalists” since he was “forcibly prevented” from submitting his petition before the DERC.
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, however, said: “If he has any evidence in the matter, he should show it. In fact, we have proof that Devinder Kumar Sehrawat misbehaved with Rakhi Birla while Vijender Gupta snatched papers from her hand and tore them up.”
In a tweet, Mr Bharadwaj claimed that BJP MLAs arrived at the DERC hearing “very late” but wanted to speak first. AAP MLAs protested against BJP legislators sitting in the VIP area, he wrote, adding the saffron party MLAs were not ready to sit with the public.
Mr Bharadwaj also alleged that BJP MLAs used “filthy language against lady MLAs of the AAP”.
Condemning the “hooliganism of AAP MLAs, leaders and workers” at DERC public hearing on tariff petitions, Mr Gupta alleged: “I was forcibly prevented from submitting a petition before the DERC.
AAP MLA Jarnail Singh went to the extent of snatching the petition from my hands and tearing it up. BJP MLAs O.P. Sharma and Jagdish Pradhan, Sehrawat and Anil Bajpai were manhandled.”
Claiming that the Delhi government has increased the fixed charges on electricity bills by six times in just one year from Rs 20 to rS 125 per connection, Mr Gupta demanded that the government compensates consumers the financial loss they incurred on account of payment of these charges.
Some consumers complained that due to commotion caused by the two parties, they didn’t get adequate time to put forth their views at the hearing.
The DERC will analyse all suggestions and objections received during the public hearing and consider it while determining new tariff rates.
