He refuses to pay ‘inflated’ power bills of his Ghaziabad house
Minutes after the authorities disconnected the power connection of Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal’s Ghaziabad home in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh on Thursday for non-payment of bills, in an apparent act of defiance the party leader re-connected the wire. He had not paid the bill since March as part of his “civil disobedience” movement against “inflated” power and water bills in Delhi for which he also went on a fast for 15 days.
“My electricity was disconnected today. I have connected it back as we are doing like everyone else. Am ready to face consequences,” Mr. Kejriwal tweeted soon after restoring the power connection at his home.
As a part of the AAP campaign against “inflated” power bills, Mr. Kejriwal and other AAP leaders had earlier restored power connection of several houses in North-East Delhi where electric supply was disconnected due to the non-payment of bills.
Reacting to the possibility of punitive action from the authorities in Uttar Pradesh, he declared that in solidarity with the general public in Delhi he won’t pay the power bills in the neighbouring State till November, the time which would coincide with the Delhi Assembly elections.
“I had appealed to the Delhi public not to pay their bills. In solidarity with the troubles Delhiites would go through, my family had decided that even we would not pay our bills. I have acted as per the principle of Mahatma Gandhi’s civil disobedience and I am ready to face any punitive action of the U.P. Government ,” Mr. Kejriwal said while justifying his action.
Soon after entering the electoral politics, the AAP had made “inflated” power and water bills the party’s main electoral issues for the Delhi elections, terming them “illegal” and “inflated”.
As part of the campaign, the party had collected over 10 lakh support letters from the Delhi residents, reportedly pledging not to pay their power and water bills.
“During the civil disobedience movement, the AAP had exposed the nexus of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and the power companies and the manner in which Ms. Dikshit was working for the interests of discoms,” the AAP statement said. Mr. Kejriwal, who now stays in a rented house in Delhi, has already announced his intention of contesting the Assembly elections against Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
Kejriwal carries his ‘civil disobedience’ movement to Uttar Pradesh – The Hindu.