Aruna Roy, Medha Patkar extend support to Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: As his indefinite fast against "inflated" power bills entered the 11th day, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal today got the support from activists Aruna Roy and Medha Patkar, who had differences with him on various issues.

Roy-led Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) and Patkar-led National Alliance of People's Movement (NAPM) issued separate statements supporting Kejriwal's fast demanding a CAG audit of the private discoms in the capital.

Roy, who is said to be Kejriwal's mentor, had differences with him over his stand on the Lokpal Bill while Patkar, who had split after the Aam Aadmi Party chief's camp in the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement took a political plunge.

Hazare had also extended his support and had visited Sunder Nagri where Kejriwal is sitting on fast. He even urged the AAP leader to end the fast.

In its statement signed by Roy, Nikhil Dey and Shankar Singh, MKSS said the issues raised by AAP about "arbitrarily" high power tariffs warrant an immediate and detailed investigation by an independent and competent body.

"While there can be a debate on the magnitude of the alleged misappropriation and their implications on power tariff, it is evident that the regulatory process has failed to provide adequate resolution to this issue - both in fact and in appearance.

"...It would therefore be appropriate if the Government were to immediately ask the CAG to conduct a special Audit of electricity and water supply in Delhi and make the findings public in a fixed and short time frame," it said.

The MKSS also demanded that the government should take steps to ensure a national framework is put into place to ensure public participation and monitoring as well as independence and public accountability of regulators.

In its statement, NAPM said it supports AAP's call for institution of CAG audits to bring about accountability, transparency and justifiability in electricity and water bills.

"NAPM also urges Delhi government to take this issue up with utmost urgency and come out with corrective measures at the earliest," it said.

Meanwhile, an AAP statement said Kejriwal's health is stable at the moment. "His Blood pressure is 108/71, Pulse 67, Sugar 123 and Ketone is 3+. Weight could not be checked in the morning," it said.

AAP also alleged the Delhi Government and Delhi Police yesterday betrayed the people of the national capital by not allowing its activists to hand over around eight lakh protest letters to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.