Four CMs urge PM to resolve Delhi government's problems
New Delhi, June 17 : Four non-BJP Chief Ministers met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday at the meeting of the NITI Aayog's fourth general council meeting here and urged him to immediately resolve the problems of the Delhi government.
The four Chief Ministers - West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee, Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan, Karnataka's H.D. Kumaraswamy and Andhra Pradesh's N. Chandrababu Naidu - have extended their support to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's sit-in protest at the Lt. Governor's office.
"I along with the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala have requested the Prime Minister to resolve the problems of Delhi government immediately," Banerjee tweeted. She is in Delhi to attend the NITI Aayog meeting.
The meeting, chaired by Modi, was not attended by Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal among others.
In a bid to show their solidarity with Kejriwal, the four Chief Ministers on Saturday met and discussed a strategy to provide support to the AAP leader who wants IAS officers to end their non-cooperation with his government.
The four Chief Ministers visited Kejriwal's residence and met his family.
They also wrote to Delhi's Lt. Governor Anil Baijal seeking to meet Kejriwal, who is on a protest at Baijal's office-cum-residence, Raj Niwas. They said the permission was denied and wondered if this was possible in a "democracy".
At a joint press conference, they accused the Central government of "restricting the federal system" and termed it a threat to the nation.
"We will tell the Prime Minister to intervene in this matter and solve it. Had the President been here, we would have told him too. This is a democracy and that is not how a democracy functions. They (Centre and Lt Governor) are not allowing the government to function. They (Kejriwal government) say they are not able to work. What will they do? Their work has been obstructed and restricted," Banerjee had said on Saturday.
Kejriwal, along with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Cabinet ministers Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai, is camping at Raj Niwas since Monday demanding a direction to the IAS officers working in the Delhi administration to end their undeclared strike.
He also wants the central government to approve his government's proposal to deliver ration to the poor at their houses.
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RCB beat MI by 18 runs after batters fire
Mumbai (PTI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli blasted half-centuries as the defending champions beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Salt (78 off 36 balls) and Kohli (50 off 38 balls) stitched together a 120-run stand for the opening wicket before Patidar scored a rapid 53 off just 20 balls as RCB posted 240 for 4.
In response, Mumbai Indians were restricted to 222 for 5, with RCB spinner Suyash Sharma (2/47) putting the skids on the home side with a double strike in the eighth over, from which they could not recover.
Sherfane Rutherford top-scored for MI with an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls.
While opener Rohit Sharma appeared to be struggling with a hamstring issue and had to retire hurt on 19, his partner Ryan Rickelton made 37, while Suryakumar Yadav (33) and Hardik Pandya (40) were the other contributors for MI.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 240 for 4 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 78, Virat Kohli 50, Rajat Patidar 53, Tim David 35 not out).
Mumbai Indians: 222 for 5 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 71 not out, Ryan Rickelton 37, Hardik Pandya 40; Suyash Sharma 2/47).
