New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS): Delhi's ruling AAP on Tuesday demanded "criminal action" against the three power distribution companies in the capital for allegedly inflating the dues to be recovered from consumers.

Addressing a press conference here, party leaders also urged the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) to cancel the companies' request to increase the tariff.

"We demand criminal action against the power discoms. They (the owners) should be sent behind the bars," AAP leader Deepak Bajpai said.

He urged the government to approach the court to ensure the CAG report was made public.

AAP legislator Saurabh Bhardwaj added: "Earlier people would laugh at us when we talked about irregularities in the account books of the power distribution companies. Now the preliminary findings of the CAG report has proved we were right."

A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has reportedly said that the power distribution companies inflated their dues to be recovered from consumers.

The AAP has accused the companies of fudging their account books. The AAP ordered a CAG audit on the companies when it first came to power in Delhi in 2013.