Rahul's function marred by media protest

Mangalore, Mar 26 (UNI) The second leg of interactions with fishermen by All India Congress Committee(AICC) General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, during his 'Discover India' tour, was marred by protests by newspersons after they were denied entry to the programme venue at Urva here today.

Before the arrival of Mr Gandhi, the media were asked to leave the venue.

The enraged journalists staged a sit-in before the main entrance and shouted slogans against Mr Gandhi and the Congress party.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes, Central Administrative Reform Commission Chairman Veerappa Moily and senior Congress leader B Janardhana Poojary came out of the venue during the function and tried to pacify the mediapersons.

Mr Gandhi, who came out of the venue after the programme, said ''I had asked the organisers not to allow presspersons inside.

Whatever I have to say, I will tell at the end of my tour.

However, the protest should not have happened''.

During his earlier interaction with the students, the National Students Union (NSU) volunteers urged the journalists to vacate the venue after Mr Gandhi's opening remarks, as the session was treated as 'closed door interaction' However, the newspersons said that they should have been intimated in advance about the plan programme.

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