Enemy which begged for mercy must not be in illusion, Op Sindoor not over: PM Modi in Kanpur

New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Monday slammed the BJP government for alleged long power cuts, a claim dismissed as a baseless ‘political stunt’ by the ruling party, which also accused the previous AAP government of corruption in the power sector.

In a press conference on Monday, Atishi said, “Before the AAP government came to power, long power cuts were normal in the national capital.”

“Every household used to have inverters. But after Arvind Kejriwal became the chief minister of Delhi in February 2015, power cuts became history,” she added.

“But now, after the BJP formed the government in the city, power cuts are on the rise,” Atishi claimed.

“How is it that in 10 years there were no outages, but within a month of BJP rule, power cuts are back? This means only one thing: the BJP doesn’t know how to run the government. They neither have the intention nor the capability to serve the people of Delhi,” she said.

In response, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said that Atishi always showcases the improvement in the power supply network in the city as an achievement of the previous AAP government, however, it is unfortunate that the Arvind Kejriwal government, between 2015 and 2025, was involved in corruption under the guise of improved electricity supply.

He said the condition of power supply in Delhi improved due to the investment approved by former Union Minister Arun Jaitley, who presented the Delhi budget during President’s rule in 2014.

He said Delhiites clearly remember Jaitley’s Budget speech in which he mentioned the poor state of the city’s electricity supply and emphasised investment in infrastructure. The Central government allocated Rs 675 crore for new power plants and Rs 200 crore for strengthening power transformers and wires in Delhi.

Sachdeva said not just Delhi but several cities in BJP-ruled states are getting 24-hour electricity supply.

BJP-ruled cities like Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bangalore, and many others already have uninterrupted electricity supply, he said.

Uttar Pradesh, which until 2017-18 was considered a state with poor electricity production and supply, today shines with good power supply, he said.

Sachdeva said BJP leaders do not boast about good electricity supply in their states, because providing 24-hour electricity is a government’s obligation and not a favour to the public.

He added that apart from Jaitley’s gift to Delhi, private companies involved in power distribution also made efforts to improve power production and supply.

The Delhi BJP President also questioned Atishi, asking her whether it is not true that while showcasing 24-hour electricity supply in Delhi, the Arvind Kejriwal government colluded with private companies to engage in electricity subsidy and Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) scams.

–IANS

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Patna, Jan 24 (IANS) Former MLA Anant Singh surrendered at the Barh civil court on Friday in connection with a shoot-out case. He was subsequently sent for 14 days in judicial custody in Patna’s Beur Jail. Amid this development, IANS spoke exclusively with Bihar’s Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar.

The DGP stated: “We are continuously striving to ensure that no one is above the law, whether they are police officers or government employees. Everybody is equal before the law.” DGP Kumar further emphasised that the police are fully active in upholding the rule of law and taking strict actions against law violators.

“We are effectively implementing all actions to establish the rule of law. The police force is ensuring that the law is followed, and strict and extensive action will be taken against anyone who violates it. We are continuously striving to ensure that no one is above the law, whether they are police officers or government employees. Recently, as you may have seen, when police officers made mistakes or committed crimes, they were punished just like any common criminal. Actions were taken in cases such as the Mahkar police station in charge, Bagaha’s DSP, or the Excise inspector’s case, and they were arrested and sent to jail. We are taking strict actions in such matters,” he said on Friday while interacting with IANS.

The senior police officer further mentioned that the pending cases in investigations are being resolved in a time-bound manner.

He said that all senior officers, such as DIGs, SPs, City SPs, and DSPs, are diligently performing their duties, and actions are being taken against those who are negligent. The police establishments are being thoroughly inspected to eliminate any errors or negligence and to make police actions more effective.

Regarding the rising number of encounters in Bihar, the DGP explained that this is not a pre-determined policy.

He stated that it (encounter) is a natural outcome when the police become more active and criminals also remain active in the area.

He described the encounters as a possible incident when both the police and criminals are operating in the same area. “It could be a chance incident. The rise in encounter cases is due to the increased mobility of the police,” he added.

To a question pertaining to the Anant Singh case, the DGP reiterated that the law is the same for everyone. Whether it is a police officer, a government employee, or a common citizen, the law treats everyone equally.

“This is the principle of ‘equality before the law’ and ‘rule of law,’ which we must adhere to. We are ensuring effective investigations and swift prosecution processes,” he stated.

He further added that special SOPs have been prepared to seize properties acquired by criminals. All police stations have been directed to identify and seize properties acquired through crime.

The government has a clear stance on issues like triple ‘C’ crimes, communalism, and corruption, and the police will take strong action against corruption, he added.

“You have seen actions taken against several senior officials, and we will continue to target corruption in the same manner. Efforts will also be made to attach properties acquired by criminals, and if arrests are needed during investigations, they will be made. If criminal activities increase in a certain area and the police remain vigilant, the possibility of encounters cannot be ruled out,” the DGP said.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) Congress MP from Saharanpur, Imran Masood, has launched a broadside against former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of ignoring issues crucial to the Muslim community during his party’s election campaigns in Delhi.

“Kejriwal has remained silent on several incidents affecting the Muslim community,” Masood said while speaking to IANS.

He was silent on Jahangirpuri riots, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) protests, the release of Bilkis Bano’s rapists, and the controversy over a party leader allegedly insulting the Quran. His party acts only when it senses potential vote banks,” Masood told IANS.

Earlier at a press conference on Thursday, Kejriwal criticised the BJP for its inability to ensure public safety, in view of the tragic stabbing of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his residence in Bandra but did not talk about the interests of Muslims in Delhi, Masood alleged.

Masood, however, condemned the sanction to prosecute Kejriwal in the excise policy case, saying, “This is a direct attack on democracy in our country.”

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) earlier approved to prosecute him and his former deputy, Manish Sisodia, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the case.

Responding to Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav’s declaration of support for AAP in the Delhi elections, Masood remarked, “It is his party’s decision. Only he can explain his stance. But he should also clarify if this means he does not want Congress’ support in Uttar Pradesh. Let us not forget, that we won 43 seats in UP on the strength of the Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.”

Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav at a press conference clarified his party’s support for AAP, saying that it did not signal an opposition to Congress. “Our strategy has always been clear — the AAP is the party actively fighting in Delhi. The foundation of the INDIA Bloc was for regional parties to assert their strength where they have significant influence,” Yadav stated.

–IANS

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