Security tightened in central Delhi ahead of AAP protest against Sisodia's arrest
New Delhi (PTI): Security on Monday morning was beefed up at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg here as the Aam Aadmi Party has called for a protest against the arrest of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia by the CBI in the excise policy case.
A senior police officer said heavy security arrangements have been made on the stretch -- DDU Marg -- in central Delhi where both the BJP and the AAP headquarters are located.
Traffic in the central part of the city is also likely to be affected during the day.
Senior AAP leader Gopal Rai said the party will mark the day as a "black day" and will hold protests across the country against the arrest of Sisodia.
"In Delhi, we will stage a protest at BJP's national office at 12 noon," he said.
The CBI on Sunday arrested Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the now-scrapped excise policy relating to the sale of alcohol.
Sisodia's arrest, one of the highest-profile actions against an opposition leader, comes after that of Satyendar Jain, Delhi's then health minister, in June last year. Both ministers have led what the Aam Aadmi Party describes as the successful transformation of Delhi's education and health services, contributing to the party's popularity and continued electoral success.
Police on Sunday had detained 50 people, including AAP MP Sanjay Singh and minister Gopal Rai, who were protesting near the CBI office.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
