Residents of Jagatpur village in Burari staged a protest against Delhi’s electricity department, alleging prolonged power outages. In response, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal criticized the BJP-led Delhi government on Friday, accusing them of worsening the power situation in the capital.

Kejriwal claimed that the previous AAP government had painstakingly built a robust power infrastructure, ensuring an uninterrupted electricity supply for a decade. In a post on X, he remarked, "We worked tirelessly to establish Delhi’s power system and monitored it daily. There were no power cuts for ten years. In just one and a half months, they have deteriorated the situation."

Protesters reportedly blocked the Outer Delhi Ring Road, demanding relief from the ongoing power crisis in their area. The demonstration coincided with the presentation of Delhi’s 2025 budget, amounting to ₹1 lakh crore. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta hailed it as the country’s "biggest increase" in budget allocation. However, the Opposition AAP criticized the move, pointing out that the budget was presented "without an economic survey." Leader of Opposition Atishi also urged the assembly speaker to hold a discussion on the financial plan.

CM Rekha Gupta described the budget as a "historic" initiative aimed at transforming Delhi into a hub for investment and innovation. The ₹1 lakh crore budget focuses on fostering economic growth and improving residents' quality of life. Key allocations include ₹19,291 crore for education, marking a 17% increase, and ₹12,952 crore for transport infrastructure, reflecting a 73% rise. Additionally, the budget for housing and urban development has been increased by 9%. Gupta emphasized that the budget had grown significantly compared to the previous ₹76,000 crore allocation in 2024-25, marking a 31.58% increase, which she called the largest budget hike in the country.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from PTI.