Journalists boycott Prithviraj Chavan's post-cabinet briefing

Journalists from print and electronic media today decided to boycott the post-cabinet press briefing scheduled to be addressed by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and his deputy Ajit Pawar this afternoon, to protest the latter's recent remarks against scribes.

The decision to boycott the briefing, was taken at a meeting of the Patrakar Halla Virodhi Kruti Samiti, minutes before the briefing which was to be held at 1 pm.

Requests by the chief minister's office to journalists to attend the briefing were spurned as the journalists insisted that they will not tolerate the 'humiliation' meted out to them by Pawar.

A delegation of journalists recently met Chavan and Maharashtra governor K Sankaranarayanan, protesting against the alleged remarks by the deputy chief minister against scribes.

Convenor of the Patrakar Halla Virodhi Kruti Samiti SM Deshmukh and president of the State Accreditation Committee Prafulla Marpakwar were present at today's meeting.

Deshmukh said the deputy chief minister "instigated the police against journalists at Nanded last week after which the police beat up some of the mediapersons covering the rally there."

Deshmukh said the Samiti is firm on seeking an unconditional apology from the deputy chief minister. The police inspector and other policemen who beat up the journalists be suspended and the superintendent of police of Nanded be transferred immediately, he said.