The Congress party held sit-in demonstrations at all the district and block headquarters of the State on Saturday to protest against the ongoing power cuts. A candle march led by Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Arun Yadav was also taken out in the State Capital. The Chief Minister’s house was rounded off by the party workers and a memorandum was also given to the Governor Ramnaresh Yadav demanding immediate rollback of the power cuts in the State.

The demonstrations were held at all the 62 District Congress Committee (DCC) and 487 Block Congress Committee (BCC) offices on the instructions of the MPCC president.

A Congress party release later in the day claimed that over ten lakh people came on the roads all over in the State to lodge protest against the State government’s anti-people action of power cuts. The people who hit the roads to protest and participate in the sit-ins organized by the Congress party were carrying anti-BJP placards and were shouting anti- Chief Minister and anti-BJP slogans, the release said.

The MPCC president, while addressing the party workers on the occasion at Roshanpura Square, said, “Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan claimed during the run for the assembly and parliamentary elections that his government would provide round-the-clock electricity in all the villages and cities of the State under the Atal Jyoti Abhiyan. The Chief Minister has deceived the people by making false promises and claims. Atal Jyoti has become Atal Katouti.”

Yadav added that Chouhan also made claims at his election meetings that the State has become selfreliant in power. The Chief Minister told lies and cheated the people for gaining power, he added.

He said that the BJP government of the Centre led by Narendra Modi is also showing discrimination with Madhya Pradesh in the allocation of coal and Central pool electricity supply. A large number of Congress workers, leaders, elected representatives and office-bearers were present on the occasion.