Reliance Industries [Get Quote] chief Mukesh Ambani on Monday met Finance Minister P Chidambaram and other senior ministers and bureaucrats and is believed to have discussed, among other things, deemed export status for fuel sold from his refineries in the domestic market.

There were unconfirmed reports that Ambani met Law Minister H R Bhardwaj in the morning to start his day in the national capital.

He followed it up with meetings with officials in Petroleum Ministry, Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar and Revenue Secretary P V Bhide, besides some Congress leaders.

Ambani remained elusive to media persons chasing him right though the meetings and warded off queries saying his was a private visit and media should respect his privacy.

Ambani is fighting a legal battle with his younger brother Anil over the supply of gas from his eastern offshore D6 fields and the case is coming up for hearing on Tuesday.

The government had sought to become a party to the case with the plea that stay on sale of gas from D6 be lifted in national interest.

Petroleum Secretary R S Pandey said Ambani offered to sell diesel from Jamnagar to state retailers provided the government removes double taxation. State-run firms are short of diesel this fiscal as demand has risen nearly 17 per cent.

At present, only LPG sold by Jamnagar refinery to state retailers enjoys the deemed export status and the company has been looking at getting the same benefits for diesel sold domestically.

"This is my private visit. Please appreciate my privacy," is all Ambani had to say to waiting media persons.

Pandey said the legal dispute between RIL and Anil Ambani's Reliance Natural Resources [Get Quote], where the government had sought to implead itself, was not discussed. "We did not discuss about this case. He did not talk about this."

Government is seeking to become a party to the court case between Mukesh and Anil Ambani as to get the injunction on sale of gas from the nation's prime D6 fields lifted, he said.

Natural gas from Mukesh-run Reliance Industries' eastern offshore D6 field will help bridge the energy deficit in the country, Pandey, who met Mukesh Ambani at his office, said but did not say if the government would move the Supreme Court if the Bombay High Court did not vacate the stay.

Anil Ambani's Reliance Natural Resources Ltd claims right over 28 million standard cubic meters per day of gas from D6 as per a family agreement that split the Dhirubhai Ambani empire into Mukesh and Anil. RNRL's claim is disputed by RIL.

The Bombay High Court on plea of RNRL had stayed sale of gas from D6 to anyone other than RNRL and state power utility NTPC, to which RIL had in 2004 bid to sell 12 mmscmd gas at USD 2.34 per million British thermal unit (mmBtu).

The government had impleaded in the gas row between the two brothers on the advice of Attorney General and the Law Ministry which saw the Government as an "affected party" from the Bombay High Court stay on sale of gas from D6.

Pandey said Reliance has offered to meet all of diesel deficit state retailers had but wanted taxation issue to be resolved.