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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Mathura (PTI): A Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped by three persons here in a moving car, after which she was thrown out on the side of a road, police said on Friday.

An FIR has been lodged against the accused following a complaint from the minor's father and efforts are on to arrest the trio, they added.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Trigun Bisen said the girl, who is around 13-year-old, has been sent to the district women's hospital for a medical examination, after which her statement will be recorded before the magistrate.

Citing the complaint lodged by the girl's father, the SP said the incident took place on Thursday when the the minor went to a shop in her neighbourhood to buy items for breakfast.

At the shop, a man named Neeraj allegedly gave her a bottle of water laced with sedatives. As soon as she drank the water, she started feeling dizzy and fainted, the complaint said.

Neeraj, his friend Shailendra and another associate then allegedly took her away in a car. They raped the girl in the moving car while she was in a semi-conscious state and threw her out under the flyover of Barsana Road before fleeing.

On regaining consciousness, the girl reached home and informed her parents about the incident, the complaint added.

According to the SP, while narrating her ordeal, the condition of the girl deteriorated and the family immediately took her to a doctor, who also confirmed that she was raped. Following this, her parents filed a complaint at the Chhata police station.

Bisen said that a case has been registered and the matter is being probed, adding that efforts are on to arrest the three accused persons.