Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Sunday made a veiled attack on activist Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of trying to build his political future by "misleading" people on the issue of hike in power tariff in Delhi.
Without naming Kejriwal, Dikshit, while addressing a public function at Nangloi in West Delhi, said certain elements were trying to rake up the power tariff issue for their political gain by "misleading" the citizens of Delhi.
"These elements have been trying to mislead people on the issue of power tariff hike for their political gain. They get media coverage very easily and they are trying to capitalise on it for their political future," Dikshit said.
On her way to the meeting venue, Dikshit was shown black flags by a group of people while two women tried to disrupt the proceedings at the rally by shouting slogans against the hike in power tariff.
This is for third day in a row when Dikshit has faced protests on the issue of power tariff.
The chief minister said the person who is leading the agitation stays in the border area of Uttar Pradesh, where power is supplied to the people for not more than four hours Daily, against 24-hour electricity supply in Delhi.
"People of the city know all these things and we are confident that the citizens will not allow themselves to be influenced by these elements," Dikshit said. She also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to politicise the issue of power tariff.
Kejriwal had launched a bijli paani movement against the inflated power and water bills last week while BJP on Saturday lodged a police complaint against Dikshit and a number of senior officials from the Delhi government and private power distribution companies, alleging that a conspiracy was hatched in 2010 to stall the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission's move to cut tariff by 23 percent.
On Friday, the chief minister was booed and a slipper was hurled at her at a public function in Nand Nagri area of the city in North East Delhi, while on Saturday she was again shown black flags at a function in Mustafabad. The angry protesters hurled eggs at her as well.
Strict security arrangements were made on Sunday at the meeting venue in Nangloi in view of the repeated protests the chief minister has faced in the last two days.
In her speech, Dikshit highlighted various achievements of her government and said it was doing everything possible for overall welfare of the people.
She said the government has already regularised 895 unauthorised colonies and the remaining such settlements will also be regularised soon.
The Delhi government had issued provisional regularisation certificates to 1,639 unauthorised colonies ahead of the assembly election in 2008.
"We work for the people, we work for the society. Our government will not allow the demolition of a single house in the unauthorised colony. We are in the process of regularising the remaining colonies soon," Dikshit said, while adding that the Delhi government has been drawing inspiration to regularise the colony from former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who had also regularised such settlements during her regime.
