Despite the best efforts of minister Danam Nagender and the principal secretary (health) P V Ramesh, about 150 scribes from the print and electronic media remained adamant and boycotted the press briefing by the union health minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, on Thursday.
The press briefing was arranged by the organising committee of the all India health ministers and secretaries conference at a star hotel, where Azad and the union health secretary, Chandramouli, were scheduled to brief the media on the deliberations which had taken place at the ongoing conference.
The scribes, who were waiting for the press meet to begin, were ushered into the conference hall by the conference secretary general, Chandravardhan.
It was at this moment that an unidentified official, who perhaps did not see Chandravadhan, shouted at the cameramen of the various television news channels and ordered that the media personnel be evicted.
Taking umbrage to the 'rude remarks', the press persons decided to walk off. They made their way to the lobby and demanded that the official be called and made to apologise.
Though Chandravadhan tried to convince them to get back to the conference hall, the scribes stood their ground and demanded an apology.
Danam Nagender and the health secretary P V Ramesh, along with the PIB deputy director Baquer Mirza tried to convince the scribes to let the press briefing begin.
The scribes, however, stuck to their demands and said that since they were not wanted there was no point in attending the conference. When the committee remained firm that the official would not be identified, the scribes said that Azad can conduct the press briefing on the road in front of the star hotel.
They all trooped out and waited for about an hour.
When the union health minister did not venture out the media persons dispersed, leaving the organising committee red-faced.