Maintain distance from CM Khattar, Haryana govt orders journalists, then withdraws diktat

The diktat comes days after Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar was seen evading journalists’ questions on Gurgaon Police’s handling of the Ryan murder case.

Journalists in Sonepat have been told to maintain their distance from chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, “or they will be responsible for the outcome of any negligence in this regard”.

The notice, issued in Hindi, with a copy marked to the Sonepat deputy commissioner and director, public relations of the state, goes on to ask scribes to maintain a certain distance from the CM, during his press conferences, in view of his security concerns. (Livemint photo)

On Tuesday evening, Sonepat district information and public relations officer issued a notice – later withdrawn - to journalists telling them that they must not go near the CM to take his bites (interview/comment) individually and can talk to him only in groups.

“Reporters cannot run after him to take his individual bite once he has addressed the media.”

— Notice of Sonepat DPRO, later withdrawn

The diktat comes days after Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar was seen evading journalists’ questions on Gurgaon Police’s handling of the Ryan murder case.

The notice, issued in Hindi, with a copy marked to the Sonepat deputy commissioner and director, public relations of the state, goes on to ask scribes to maintain a certain distance from the CM, during his press conferences, in view of his security concerns.

“Journalists take their cameras and mikes too close to the CM, which is not right from the security point of view and also causes inconvenience to the CM. Reporters cannot run after him to take his individual bite once he has addressed the media,” the notice read. Soon after it was circulated, the department retracted it in an email to scribes without assigning any reason.