As Arvind Kejriwal’s fast against ‘inflated’ power and water bills in Delhi entered the 10{+t}{+h} day on Monday, Aam Aadmi Party activists decided to deliver protest letters, claimed to have been signed by 7.92 lakh Delhiites, to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. However, they were stopped mid-way by the police.
The activists were in a procession of slow-moving 272 auto-rickshaws (symbolising 272 wards in Delhi), many of which carried the Indian national flag and shouted anti-Government slogans.
“We want to see if Sheila Dikshit listens to the plea of
Later, AAP leader Manish Sisodia said that the police went back on an ‘agreement’ with the protesters that the activists would be taken to the CM’s residence in buses.
“We were told that they will take us to Dikshit’s residence in police buses. We agreed, but on the way, they stopped and told us we can only take you to Jantar Mantar,” Sisodia told reporters.
AAP activists have been collecting signatures in all the wards in Delhi since March 23, which goes to polls later this year. Kejriwal has also appealed to people not to pay their bills.
Kejriwal, who has been on fast in a Delhi slum area since March 23, said the idea behind the fast this time was to rally the people rather than place demands before a ‘deaf’ Government.
His indefinite fast, which saw a muted response initially, got a fresh impetus with the visit of veteran social activist Anna Hazare last week, as well as letters of support from some eminent citizens such as Justice Krishan Iyer, Admiral Ramdas, former Election Commissioner J.M Lyngdoh.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal’s health is reported to be stable, even as doctors said he had lost seven kg since he began his fast.