Power outages spark heated exchanges between AAP, BJP

Amid severe summer heat in the national capital, large parts of Delhi have been facing long, unannounced spells of power cuts, sparking public outrage and instigating a political showdown. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi, criticised Chief Minister Rekha Gupta for downplaying the crisis with what she called was a “mocking” remark.

The row erupted after CM Gupta, in response to growing complaints of electricity outages, reportedly said that there were no power cuts in Delhi and that people were voluntarily switching off lights to enjoy candlelight dinners. The comment drew widespread criticism, with Atishi accusing the Chief Minister of being out of touch with the ground reality.

“Rekha Gupta ji, are all the people of Delhi lying on social media? Are they lighting candles for fun in 40-degree heat,” Atishi asked.

She demanded that the government address the issue seriously instead of ridiculing the pain of residents.

Citing a slew of complaints she received overnight, Atishi said people from Bhajanpura, Sangam Vihar, Kamla Nagar, Uttam Nagar, Sonia Vihar and Bhogal had reported blackouts, ranging from 30 minutes to five hours. Atishi listed specific time-stamped complaints, including one from a BJP supporter in Bhogal who confirmed there was no electricity in his area since 3:30 am.

“Every morning, my WhatsApp inbox is flooded with messages about outages. There is a genuine crisis. To dismiss this as a ‘candlelight dinner’ is nothing short of a mockery,” she said.

She further accused the Chief Minister of ignoring the hardships of the poor, elderly and children who are worst affected by the lack of electricity in peak summer. “People are not sleeping at night, they are falling ill. This is not a joke, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure basic services,” Atishi said.

The AAP leader also urged the Chief Minister to visit the affected areas herself and speak to residents before making such statements. “Delhi doesn’t need sarcasm—it needs solutions,” she said.

Delhi