New Delhi:
Activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal ended his two-week-long fast today.
Addressing his supporters before he sipped a glass of juice to break his fast, Mr Kejriwal said, "I am diabetic, when I started my fast doctors said wouldn't live beyond two days but I survived and fasted for 15 days. If you walk on the path of truth all the powers in the universe help you."
Mr Kejriwal, who formed his own party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), after splitting with his one-time mentor Anna Hazare, also warned Congress and BJP that he will give them a tough fight in the Assembly elections slated for later this year.
"The coming elections will be fought on the issue of electricity and water. A government which can't give its people electricity and water cannot rule over Delhi. BJP and Congress are two sides of the same coin. This fast has proved that. Congress in collaboration with corporate houses increases charge on electricity and BJP fakes Opposition," he said.
Mr Kejriwal has been protesting against inflated water and electricity bills in Delhi which he alleges is because of a conspiracy between the government and private firms. He also said though his fast is ending, the protest will not.
Mr Kejriwal, who is 44, has lost more than six kilograms since his fast began on March 23. He had announced yesterday afternoon that nearly 10 lakh people have signed his petition agreeing that the government is fleecing them.
While the Congress claims Mr Kejriwal's fast is only a 'political' stunt to garner votes, the BJP has said that the fight against inflated bills should be from within the system and not through "illegal means."