Uttar Pradesh heat wave triggers protests amid widespread power outages
Uttar Pradesh is facing major power outages just as a brutal heat wave pushes temperatures between 40 degrees Celsius and 45 degrees Celsius.
Frustrated residents in cities like Lucknow, Meerut, and Gonda are taking to the streets (some even showing up outside MLAs's homes late at night).
In Meerut, people surrounded Mayor Harikant Ahluwalia's house after hours without electricity.
Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati blame BJP
Opposition leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati have slammed the BJP government for not fixing the power grid, saying farmers, workers, and families are suffering.
Even some BJP lawmakers admit public anger is rising fast.
Experts point to maintenance delays and staff shortages as key reasons for the outages, with demand now crossing 30,000 megawatts.
Power Minister A.K. Sharma says record-breaking consumption is making things tough but promises efforts to stabilize supply, and asks everyone for a bit more patience while they work on it.