Delhi Power Minister Atishi on Friday accused Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena and BJP leaders of conspiring to stop the power subsidy of farmers by pressurising the power department officials.

Addressing a meeting attended by a group of legal eagles, she said that, “For the first time in the country, a Government has come forward to support lawyers. We believe that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will help us over the issue of power subsidies in every possible way.”

She further said that the “LG and BJP are conspiring night and day against the people of Delhi. They are now attempting to shut down the power subsidies offered to Delhi’s citizens”

A section of lawyers from the Delhi’s district courts had met with the Power Minister Atishi, expressing dismay that the power subsidy should continue for them also.

During the day, Atishi also met a representative of farmers from rural Delhi to discuss the issue of power subsidy. The farmers said the proposal to end the power subsidy for farmers shows that the BJP and the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi are completely anti-farmer. Assuring them of all help, she said that, “No matter how many conspiracies are hatched by LG and BJP leaders, power subsidy for farmers will not be stopped.” However, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva outrightly dismissed the allegations, and said that “thousands of farmers in Delhi have suffered a lot due to the damage to their crops due to the unseasonal rains during the last 10 days, especially last evening. In the last two years also, the farmer’s crop has been damaged similarly and today the farmer is distressed, because the Kejriwal government has not yet paid the crop loss announced for the last two years to most of the farmers. To add to the agony of the sector, now the Power Minister is making false claims that her government has been giving free electricity to the farmers of Delhi, which is being stopped by the Lt. Governor, he said.

“In fact, not a single unit of free electricity is given to the farmers by the Delhi Government,” he said.

He questioned the motive and said “how can any government play with the sentiments of farmers like this. Today, whether the Delhi farmer uses electricity or not, he is bound to pay a bill of up to Rs.2000 per month, on an average.”

He said that he has requested the Delhi Chief Minister to conduct a survey of the loss caused to the farmers of Delhi and declare a compensation of Rs. one lakh per acre as Delhi’s farmer does rural farming but his expenses are urban, so the compensation should be more.

The Delhi BJP president also sought apology from the Kejriwal government for making false announcements of free electricity.   Taking a dig at power minister Atishi for making a false promise of giving free electricity to farmers,  the Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said that AAP minister Atishi is a master of fake propaganda.

“The farmers of Delhi will protest outside the residence of Chief Minister Kejriwal on Saturday in support of their demands as well as demanding Atishi’s resignation or sacking,” Bidhuri said