In a high-level meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal apprised him about the acute shortage of oxygen in hospitals required for the treatment of critically ill Covid19 patients.

Kejriwal said a "big tragedy" could happen because of the oxygen shortage in Delhi hospitals and sought Centre’s help and guidance and said oxygen tankers were being stopped from entering the city. “People in major pain due to oxygen shortage. We fear a big tragedy may happen due to oxygen shortage and we will never be able to forgive ourselves. I request you with folded hands to direct all Chief Ministers to ensure smooth movement of oxygen tankers coming to Delhi,” Kejriwal said. “Will people of Delhi not get oxygen if there is no oxygen-producing plant here? Please suggest whom should I speak to in the central government when an oxygen tanker meant for Delhi is stopped in another state,” he added.

He also urged PM Modi to facilitate the airlift of oxygen from West Bengal and Odisha to resolve the shortage in Delhi.

“PM Sir, please, make a phone call to the Chief Minister of the state where maximum trucks (tankers carrying oxygen) are being stopped so oxygen can reach Delhi,” Kejriwal said and asserted the National Policy on Oxygen.

However, his discussion with PM Modi became controversial as the Kejriwal government aired the  live feed of the in-house meeting which was not supposed to bd shared live as per the protocol. PM Modi objected in between and Kejriwal expressed his regret.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Office (CMO), Delhi government issued a statement later on : Today, the chief minister's address was shared live because there has never been any instruction, written or verbal, from the central government that the said interaction could not be shared live. There have been multiple occasions of similar interactions where matters of public importance which had no confidential information were shared live.