New Delhi, June 16: In a bid to put pressure on the Centre and the BJP, four non-BJP Chief Ministers met here on Saturday and discussed a strategy to provide support to protesting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who wants IAS officers to end their non-cooperation with his government.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended a meeting at Andhra Bhawan with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

They met shortly after Delhi's Lt. Governor Anil Baijal declined permission to Banerjee to meet Kejriwal. She had planned to go to the protest site -- Lt. Governor's residential office -- along with Naidu.

Informed sources said the four Chief Ministers were planning a strategy on how to strengthen Kejriwal's hands.

On denial of permission by the Lt Governor, Kejriwal tweeted: "I don't think LG can take such a decision on his own. Obviously, PMO has directed him to refuse permission. Just like IAS strike is being done at PMO's instance.

"We live in a democracy. Can PM deny CMs of other states to meet CM of another state? Raj Niwas is no one's personal property. It belongs to the people of India."

Delhi's Lt. Governor Baijal earlier denied permission to Banerjee for meeting her Delhi counterpart who is on a protest at the Lt Governor's office-cum-residence, Raj Niwas.

"Permission denied by LG. Extremely sad state of affairs," Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha tweeted.

Kejriwal followed it up with: "This is getting more and more bizarre..."

Minutes before Chadha had tweeted: "West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee asks LG to let her meet Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal this evening at 8 p.m."

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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Bengaluru (PTI): IndianOil on Thursday said it has significantly scaled up its Auto LPG supplies across Karnataka in response to a sharp surge in demand, particularly following the closure or partial shutdown of several private Auto LPG outlets in Bengaluru and other parts of the state.

The PSU major said it is currently meeting the fuel requirements of auto rickshaws and LPG-driven cars through its network of 55 Auto LPG Dispensing Stations (ALDS) spread across Karnataka, even as a substantial portion of demand has shifted to public sector outlets due to over 300 privately operated outlets being closed or only partially functional.

"Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IndianOil) has significantly scaled up its Auto LPG supplies across Karnataka in response to a recent surge in demand," V Vetriselvakkumar, Chief General Manager (Corporate Communications) said in a release.

He added that the move comes particularly following the closure or partial shutdown of several private Auto LPG outlets in Bengaluru and other parts of the state.

Despite the increased operational burden, the company said it has taken concerted measures to ensure uninterrupted supply and efficient service delivery to LPG-powered vehicles during the current situation.

The average daily sales at IndianOil's ALDS in Karnataka have risen sharply to 59.53 metric tonne (MT), compared to the previous three-month average of 43.4 MT, reflecting a significant spike in consumer demand, the release said.

Reiterating its commitment, Vetriselvakkumar said IndianOil remains focused on ensuring seamless fuel accessibility while adhering to government directives and maintaining equitable distribution across all sectors.