AP minister enters into altercation with journalist

Guntur(AP) Feb 13 (PTI) AP Handlooms Minister P ShankarRao lost his cool at a press conference here today and calleda journalist unfit for his job, responding to which the lattersaid that he was not fit to be a minister.

It all began when the reporter, working in a televisionchannel, asked the minister as to why he cricitised WarangalMLA Konda Surekha, a supporter of Jaganmohan Reddy, forlashing out at Congress president Sonia Gandhi, when hepreferred not to react when a senior party leader raisedquestion marks on Gandhi''s nationality and called her misfitto be an Indian leader.

Not satisfied with Rao''s response, the journalistcontinued asking the minister counter-questions, therebyannoying him following which Rao said the reporter was amisfit for journalism.

The reporter retaliated by saying, "You are not fit for aminister job."

Rao left the press conference abprutly after thealtercation.