Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Monday, staged a state wide protest against the Maharashtra Government’s turnaround over providing relief to electricity consumers for the inflated bills received during the lockdown and also giving free power to the consumers with 0-100 units consumption. Party leaders staged protests in Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Satara, Ahmednagar and other parts of the state and said it will not keep quiet until the inflated electricity bills are ‘corrected’.
BJP leaders along with workers burned electricity bills as a mark of protest.
In Mumbai, BJP Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Atul Bhatkhalkar led the protest. He was detained along with other party men by the police when they staged a protest in suburban Kandivali.
Besides, former Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Ashish Shelar, in a tweet, accused the state government of looting the people by issuing ‘exorbitant’ bills.
Earlier, this month, state Energy Minister Dr Nitin Raut hinted at a major relief to the consumers facing the issue of inflated power bills, saying a Diwali gift was in the offing.
But, last week, the minister said the government will not be able to provide any relaxation in the inflated electricity bills and consumers will have to make full payment of the bills.
State BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said, "The BJP will continue to fight until the state government provides necessary relief to consumers," he added.
However, Dr Raut hit back at BJP and targeted former energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule for the MahaVitaran’s present poor financial conditions. He said the Maha Vikas Aghadi government will make all the efforts for its revival in due course of time.