SPG men prevent scribes, lensmen to interview Sonia

SPG men prevent scribes, lensmen to interview Sonia
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

HYDERABAD, AUG 11: Scribes and lensmen of both print and electronic media and local Congress leaders had a scuffle with the Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel, in-charge of security cover for Congress president Sonia Gandhi, soon after her arrival here at Lake View guest house on Friday morning.

Braving rain, media personnel and a battery of photographers assembled at the guest house where Sonia was staying and sought to push their way inside to meet the visiting leader and take some photographs.

However, SPG personnel standing guard at the main entrance of the sprawling guest house prevented waiting newspersons and local party functionaries from entering the premises, citing security reasons, and allowed only such party leaders and workers who had sought permission earlier and whose names were mentioned in the list.

Repeated pleas by lensmen to at least have photographs of Sonia, who has come here for the first time after the Assembly polls in October last, went in vain as the security personnel pushed and jostled them away.

A wordy duel ensued between the media personnel and SPG men for sometime before the former minister Mohd Ali Shabir came out with a word that a press conference was scheduled to be addressed by Sonia at 3.30 pm at the guest house.