Hyderabad: Much to the indignity of journalist community, the Telangana Government today restricted entry of scribes into C Block which accommodates Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

The security personnel sent out rather roughly the scribes sitting at the Chief Public Relations Officer’s chambers at the ground floor of the same block this afternoon. Some five to six scribes were asked by the security staff to leave the premises keeping security problem in view. According to sources, the security staff at the CMO, taking cue from Information officials, sent out the scribes from the CPRO chambers, who later expressed shock and absolute dismay. This led to a sort of chaos and embarrassment to the journalists, who are supposed to discharge their duties at the Secretariat.

Being the nerve centre of the State Government, the Secretariat is very much known for free movement of scribes of a wide gamut of newspapers and news channels for decades. Despite it is being the norm during the stints of any governments, irrespective of their political alliance, there were no such restrictions or incidents that previously occurred. Then Chief Minister late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy had unsuccessfully tried to put curbs on the media. YSR had to withdraw his decision to restrict the media into the Secretariat as the Opposition parties and journalists’ unions raised a hue and cry.

It may be noted that YSR successors chief ministers like K Roshaiah and N Kiran Kumar Reddy did not try to put curbs on the media at the Secretariat. The incumbent Chief Minister is rather reluctant to have soft-corner for the media and hence the curbs. The incident of ‘necking out’ of the scribes from the CPRO chambers of “C Block” immediately spread like wild fire and journalists unions and political parties tried to share the news and expressed shock at the helm of affairs being dictatorial and against the freedom of the press. The very idea to curb media invited wrath from the Opposition parties, which hastened to respond that KCR is being misguided by some of the officials. They even termed the curbs as against the country’s Constitution.

It is pertinent to note that the TRS supremo and Chief Minister, during his maiden meeting with media top brass at the Press Academy, while announcing ‘sops’ to journalists, including those of desk health, accreditation cards and other welfare schemes besides constructing houses of three bedroom flats in the middle of the city, hinted at restricting the media and not complete ban. Probably, this step of sending out media from C block is to avoid a sort of ‘nuisance’ what he is construing as it is learnt. Later, Press Academy Chief Allam Narayana reportedly reacted on the incident and tried to talk to officials concerned.