BJP goons stopping autos, taxis from plying: Kejriwal

New Delhi, July 27: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday accused the BJP of sponsoring the auto and taxi strike in the national capital saying its "goons" were forcibly stopping autos and taxis from plying.

"See this. BJP goons stopping autos and taxis from plying. BJP wants to cripple Delhi. Active support from LG (Lt. Governor) and Delhi Police," Kejriwal tweeted, posting pictures of some people forcibly stopping autos and e-rickshaw from plying.

His remark came after reports that a section of strikers in different parts of the city were forcibly stopping auto drivers from plying their vehicles and asking them to join the strike being observed on Wednesday.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government termed the strike as sponsored by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Delhi Transport Minister Satyendar Jain accused the Delhi Police of not taking action against strikers forcibly stopping other auto drivers from plying their vehicles.

"Goons stopped autos and other passenger vehicles with BJP support. Why no action by Delhi Police," Jain asked on Twitter.

Passengers had to suffer a lot due to hooliganism by a section of auto strikers.

"I had to reach ISBT Anand Vihar from New Ashok Nagar in east Delhi but some people stopped the auto I was travelling in near Gazipur. They asked the driver not to ply the auto and join in the strike," Praveen Yadav, a medical student, told IANS.

He added, "I had to leave the auto in Gazipur and reach the bus station with the help of a friend."

Similar incidents of auto drivers forcibly stopping the others from plying their autos and taxis and asking passengers to get down were reported in Saket, Bhajanpura, Sarojini Nagar and Kondli areas of the city.

Around one lakh drivers of auto-rickshaws and taxis went on an indefinite strike On Tuesday and several of them are not plying their vehicles on Wednesday.

The protesters said the indefinite strike was against the increasingly popular app-based taxi services. They are demanding the Delhi government fix rates for the app-based taxi services.

About 90,000 auto-rickshaws and 15,000 traditional yellow-top taxis ply in Delhi.

Not long ago, the auto rickshaw drivers were the mainstay of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party's campaigns and poster wars against the central government.

IANS