Fast Bulletin: Kejriwal loses 7 kgs, gets support from NGOs

New Delhi, April 2: Activist-turned-politician

continued with his indefinite

for the 11th day at a row on Tuesday, April 2 in New Delhi.

Reports say, Kejriwal has lost 7 kgs during his ongoing fast. However, doctors looking after him confirmed that in spite of weight loss, Kejriwal's vitals are normal. Kejriwal is on fast to protest inflated power and water bills in the national capital.

Moreover, activists Aruna Roy and Medha Patkar, who earlier had differences with him on several issues on Tuesday extended their support to Kejriwal.

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. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed that the number of 'bijli-pani satyagrahis' who have pledged not to pay the inflated bills had crossed 8.3 lakhs till Monday night.

But on Monday (April 1) several AAP volunteers were stopped by police as they wanted to meet Chief Minister of New Delhi Sheila Dikshit's and submit to her lakhs of letters protesting "inflated water and power bills".

Police briefly detained 34 AAP supporters who were protesting outside Dikshit's house.

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.

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.

OneIndia News