The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Day was celebrated on Wednesday, 24 January, in the presence of Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Vice President of India. However, the media, agitated about being denied the right to interact with the Director General (DG), decided to stage a boycott.
A group of camerapersons and reporters approaching the DG in order to ask questions after the speeches were over, were asked by the NIA to not go any further. One of the reasons that they were given for this restriction was that the Vice President was present and a question-answer session at that point would violate protocol.
The manner in which they were stopped disappointed the mediapersons present at the event deeply, for they felt they could have been informed earlier that they would not be allowed to get answers to their questions after the speeches.
They told the NIA event organisers that they should be told about the restrictions well in advance so that that each reporter and cameraperson can take an "informed call about attending" such functions.
Mediapersons present at the event have also taken to Twitter to express their outrage.
In his speech, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had opined that the NIA needs to develop skills in cyberspace. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, on the other hand, went on to talk about how Afzal Guru should not be celebrated in India.
(The NIA has not responded yet. This copy will be updated with NIA's response.)
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