Repeatedly asked Kejriwal to come for NITI Aayog meet: Amitabh Kant
New Delhi, June 17: NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Sunday denied Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's allegation that Lt. Governor Anil Baijal replaced him at its fourth Governing Council meeting, saying Kejriwal was repeatedly asked to come to the meeting.
"Arvind Kejriwal was invited like all the other Chief Ministers. We repeatedly asked him to come to the meeting but there was no communication from his side," Kant said in a press conference after the meeting.
He also clarified that Lt. Governor could not be in the meeting because "he is not the member of NITI AAayog Governing Council".
Kant said Kejriwal has tweeted that Lt. Governor was present in the meeting "so we also clarified through the tweet that he was not present".
In the morning, Kejriwal questioned Lt. Governor's presence in the meeting in place of him.
"Under which provision of the Constitution does LG have powers to replace the Chief Minister? I have not authorised him to go in my place," Kejriwal had tweeted.
Kant, replying to Kejriwal's tweet, said: "This is totally incorrect. Lt. Governor of Delhi is not present at the Fourth Meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog."
Kejriwal didn't attend the NITI Aayog meeting because he is on protest at the Lt Governor's office.
He, 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).
