The Hindu : National : Miffed after being sniffed at

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 10, 2004

National

National

Miffed after being sniffed at

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, NOV. 9. Journalists today walked out of a press conference to be addressed by the Chief of the Army Staff, N.C. Vij, following the "rude and threatening behaviour" by an Army officer. A large number of reporters, camerapersons and still photographers refused to get themselves checked by sniffer dogs at Gen. Vij's South Block office and decided not to cover the function after the Army officers shouted at them.

The Press Association, in a memorandum to the Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, demanded a probe. In a letter to the Information and Broadcasting Minister, S. Jaipal Reddy, the association said that unwilling to submit themselves to a check by sniffer dogs, the journalists walked out of the press conference.

"This kind of behaviour and treatment to members of the Fourth Estate is unprecedented and violative of all norms of human dignity. It may also be pointed out that all accredited

Correspondents are cleared by the Union Home Ministry and have access to the President and the Prime Minister's Offices with normal security checks and never, never by a sniffer dog squad," said the statement.

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