Shastri Bhavan's 'leading' statements

Petroleum Minister Murli Deora is not known to be particularly media-shy but he proved resiliently elusive the day he met Cairn Energy Chief Executive Bill Gammell. When reporters called the petroleum secretary’s office to find out where the meeting was being held, they were told it was scheduled for 12.30 pm at the minister’s residence in Lodhi Estate and, indeed, Petroleum Secretary S Sundareshan was seen leaving his Shastri Bhavan office at noon. But journalists who hoofed it to Lodhi Estate found the place deserted. Some also hopefully hovered around Taj hotel on Mansingh Road on the off-chance that the meeting was taking place there, given its proximity to Shastri Bhawan. Finally, at 2 p m, ministry officials told journalists that the meeting was over. Taxed on the misinformation, officials admitted that they had been specifically told to mislead the media so that the meeting could be held in peace. And they steadfastly refused to disclose where the meeting was held.