Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily has called Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ignorant and advised him to know how a government functions.

Moily hit-back at Kejriwal after he ordered Delhi's Anti-Corruption Branch to register FIRs against Moily some other high-profile personalities over irregularities in the pricing of natural gas from K G Basin.

When asked for a comment on the controversial development, Moily said, "I think I should sympathise with his ignorance. He should know how the government functions, how these things are done. He thinks that it's just like taking water through a bucket from a well. He cannot take oil like that."

He also claimed that he took special interest to make sure that prices of CNG and PNG remained low.

The FIRs have reportedly been registered under IPC sections that cover crimes like anti-national activity, conspiracy, fraud and cheating. Apart from Moily, FIRs were registered against Reliance Industries Ltd Chairman Mukesh Ambani, former minister Murli Deora and former Director general of Hydrocarbons V K Sibal.

Reliance said the Delhi government's move was shocking, claiming that the allegations labeled by the Delhi government were 'completely baseless'.

Kejriwal argues that gas sales from blocks allotted to Reliance are at just 18 per cent and the petroleum ministry, instead of cancelling the company's licence collided with it to raise prices of gas.