New Delhi, Oct. 27 -- On September 9, representatives of the LPG Distributors Association of India (LDAI) sought Delhi Police permission to protest at Jantar Mantar on October 26 against the Centre's policies promoting PNG. The permission was granted, only to be rescinded after Jantar Mantar was denotified as a protest site on October 11, with alternative venues announced. Ramlila Maidan, their next choice, was already booked. On October 17, the association paid Rs.95,000 to book DDA's CBD Ground in Shahdara. But the online portal offered no category for protests, so they booked it for "socio-cultural functions". On Sunday, police told the organisers they could not protest there. On Monday, the LPG distributors were stopped from entering and gathered on the road outside. The unusual sequence left the association and authorities blaming each other over a booking system that, even on Monday, did not offer "protests" as a category. "We had been planning the protest for over a month. On September 9, we had written to Delhi Police for permission for protest at Jantar Mantar for Monday. They granted us permission but after the CJP protests in October first two weeks, they cancelled our protest," said LDAI president BS Sharma. Sharma said that when association booked CBD Ground, DDA's portal offered only broad categories, including social and socio-cultural functions, with the latter listing events such as Diwali melas and children's fetes. "What could I do? There is no other sub-category. So, I paid the amount but Delhi Police on Sunday told us that we can't stage a protest. On Monday, we were not allowed to enter. I had paid everything, arranged banners and food but we had to sit on the road next to the ground," he said. DCP (Shahdara) Rajendra Prasad Meena said the police had refused permission because the association had applied under what he called a false category. "The DDA letter says it was a school programme. Later, we found they posted on social media about a protest but never even informed Delhi Police for the protest. So, we didn't give them permission. They were stopped outside the ground by forces but nobody was detained," he said. Meena said police learnt later that the association had paid for the ground and would speak to DDA about a refund. The protest was called against the Centre's push for PNG connections, which LPG distributors say threatens their businesses, alongside a long-standing lack of revision in their commissions and administrative charges....