Chd,Pb)AAP’s Punjab unit Bhagwant Mann MP Booked For Protest Against Power Tariff Hike
Around 800 unnamed AAP supporters have also been booked.
Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Harpal Singh Cheema slammed the Chandigarh Police for registering the case. Power rates in Punjab were hiked by 36 paise a unit with effect from January 1 for domestic consumers.
Party leaders alleged that power consumers were being forced to pay between Rs 9 and Rs 12 a unit which was “much higher” as compared to electricity rates in other states.The FIR was filed on Saturday against the Sangrur MP, around seven-eight legislators and others on the statement of a woman constable here, who complained that AAP activists had pelted stones and assaulted her and some other police personnel during the protest on Friday last.
FIR has been registered against Mann and others under various Sections of the IPC including rioting, voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant in discharge of his duty, disobedience to order promulgated by public servant.
The protesters created law and order problem and violated the district magistrate’s order under Section 144 in the area,
Police had used water cannons on Friday last to stop the Aam Aadmi Party leaders and workers protesting against the hike in power tariff in Punjab from moving towards Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s residence here.
The main opposition party in Punjab was also seeking scrapping of power purchase agreements signed during the previous SAD-BJP regime with private plants.