‘We Fixed It, BJP Damaged It…’Kejriwal Slams BJP Over Power Outages in Delhi
Former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over growing concerns about power outages in the national capital, claiming that the current administration had “damaged” the electricity system that his party had “painstakingly fixed” over the past decade.
“In the last ten years, we fixed the power system of Delhi with great difficulty. It is said that it takes years to fix anything, but it can be damaged in just two days,” Kejriwal wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Citing recent data, Kejriwal pointed out that while Delhi’s power demand peaked at 5,462 MW on Wednesday, the city still experienced power cuts — a situation he contrasted with previous years under AAP governance. “Last year, the peak demand reached about 8,500 MW. Still, there were no outages,” he noted, questioning how the BJP plans to handle surging power needs as summer temperatures rise.
His remarks come amid rising public complaints of unscheduled power cuts across various parts of Delhi. Several residents have taken to social media to voice frustration, with many dismissing the Power Department’s explanation that the outages are due to scheduled maintenance.
Atishi, AAP leader and former chief minister who briefly succeeded Kejriwal, also criticised the BJP government and Power Minister Ashish Sood. “Delhites are now routinely calling out the excuses publicly made by Power Minister Ashish Sood that these are scheduled power cuts for maintenance,” she wrote on X, amplifying social media posts from affected citizens.
The AAP-BJP face-off over Delhi’s electricity supply has intensified in recent weeks, with AAP repeatedly warning that the national capital’s infrastructure could crumble under mismanagement. In March, Kejriwal had similarly alleged a deterioration in power services since the BJP assumed control. At the time, Power Minister Sood dismissed the allegations and presented data indicating that during AAP’s last 12 months in office, the city witnessed around 21,600 power cuts lasting more than an hour.
As summer approaches and power demand continues to climb, experts warn that Delhi may face further strain unless preventive steps are taken swiftly. The political blame game, meanwhile, shows no signs of cooling down.
With Delhi’s temperatures rising and electricity demand expected to peak in the coming months, the escalating war of words between AAP and BJP underscores deeper concerns about the city’s preparedness.
