New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS): Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) chief Ajay Maken on Wednesday sat on a day-long hunger strike here to demand the enactment of the Street Vendors Act, 2014.

Criticising the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for not implementing the act in Delhi, Maken said that poor street vendors were being forced to shell out bribes in order to ply their trade.

"The AAP government is not interested in implementing the act. As a result, poor vendors have to pay bribes to carry out their businesses," Maken said.

"The act has been enacted in Congress-ruled Uttarakhand, why can't it be done here," added Maken, who began the hunger strike at Jantar Mantar.

The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 aims to regulate street vending and protect the rights of urban street vendors. It also protects them from harassment by police and civic authorities, besides providing them protection of livelihood rights and social security.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had in July met street vendors in the national capital and asked the party workers to fight for their rights, including getting them licences.