Accredited journalists covering the Home Ministry are miffed following reported orders that they will not be allowed to linger on in its corridors in search of news.
Traditionally such journalists go to North Block that house the ministry to gather news. They hang around the offices of the Home Minister and the Home Secretary.
However, the journalists were today told by the 'flying squad' and CISF personnel to clear out.
The journalists were standing outside Sushilkumar Shinde's office to take his reaction to the sensational suicide of Ram Singh, one of the main accused in December 16 rape case.
First a 'flying squad' comprising officials of the rank of under secretary asked them to clear the corridor and stay in the waiting room. The scribes, however, said that if they stayed in that room, they would not know the departure of the Minister.
This prompted the squad to summon CISF personnel asking them to remove the journalists from the corridor.
The journalists were told about an order had been issued in the Ministry prohibiting people from loitering in the corridors of the North Block.
The matter was taken up with Shinde after his monthly press conference. He expressed surprise and gave an assurance that he would go into the matter.
A senior information official gave a patient hearing to scribes and promised to take up the matter with Home Secretary R K Singh.
