Delhi LoP Atishi accused the BJP of using DISCOM audit allegations to divert attention from power cuts. She asserted AAP ordered the audit, while BJP Minister Ashish Sood pointed to the DISCOMs’ court challenge as proof of an AAP nexus.
AAP Accuses BJP of Diversion Tactics
Delhi Assembly Leader of Opposition Atishi on Monday accused the BJP government of attempting to divert attention from issues such as power cuts and rising electricity tariffs by raising allegations against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in connection with the proposed Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit of power distribution companies (DISCOMs).
In a statement, Atishi said the BJP government in Delhi has failed to ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply to residents and is attempting to shift focus from its administrative shortcomings by making baseless allegations against the AAP. “The BJP government in Delhi cannot provide uninterrupted 24×7 electricity to the people. Power cuts have become common, and electricity tariffs have increased under its watch. Instead of answering for its failures, the BJP is busy making baseless allegations against the AAP,” she said.
‘We Ordered the Audit’
Rejecting allegations of any nexus between the AAP and power distribution companies, Atishi asserted that it was the AAP government that had initiated action for a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)-linked audit of DISCOMs in October 2024. “The BJP’s claim is completely illogical. The AAP government ordered the audit of DISCOMs on the pension surcharge issue in October 2024. The government directed DERC to conduct a special audit through CAG-approved auditors to ensure transparency and protect the interests of more than 20,000 Delhi Vidyut Board pensioners. If there was any nexus between the AAP and the power companies, why would our government order an audit of those very companies?” she added.
BJP Blamed for Administrative Failures
Atishi further alleged that the BJP has been blaming the previous AAP government for administrative failures over the past year, citing incidents such as the Malviya Nagar fire, water shortages, power cuts and rising electricity bills. “After being in power for more than a year, the BJP government is still blaming the previous AAP government for every failure. Whether it is the tragic fire incidents in Malviya Nagar and Saket, the worsening water shortage, rising power cuts, or increasing electricity bills, the BJP has no answers. The Malviya Nagar tragedy, which claimed more than 21 lives, including several foreign nationals, drew international attention to the state of affairs in the national capital. Instead of fixing these problems, the BJP is busy finding excuses,” Atishi said.
BJP Hits Back, Alleges AAP-DISCOM Nexus
Meanwhile, Delhi Minister Ashish Sood, reacting to the Delhi High Court’s order, alleged that the decision by power distribution companies to approach the court against the proposed CAG audit exposed their relationship with the AAP. “The very fact that power companies filed a case in the High Court against the CAG audit reveals the nature of the relationship between AAP, Arvind Kejriwal, and these power companies. It is due to our government’s strong political will and commitment to adopting high standards of transparency that the court has today dismissed the companies’ opposition to the CAG audit,” Sood said.
Delhi High Court Dismisses DISCOMs’ Plea
Earlier on Monday, the Delhi High Court dismissed petitions filed by BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) challenging a notice issued by the Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD) proposing to entrust their audit to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), holding that the challenge was premature as the impugned communication was only a show-cause notice and not a final decision.
Justice Tejas Karia held that the notice dated June 6, 2026, merely granted the discoms an opportunity to submit their representations and participate in a hearing before any final decision on entrustment of audit was taken under Section 20(3) of the CAG (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971. “The Impugned Notice does not record any adverse finding against the Petitioners, warranting any interference on merits at this stage in exercise of writ jurisdiction. The present Petition is, therefore, premature,” the Court held.
The case arose from GNCTD’s proposal to entrust the audit of BRPL and BYPL to the CAG. The BSES companies challenged the move, contending that it violated earlier judicial decisions, including the Delhi High Court’s 2015 judgement in the URJA case, which had quashed an earlier attempt to subject the private discoms to a CAG audit. (ANI)
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