NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Ajit Panja was at his least coy during a Meet with the Press program organized by the Press Club of India.

In an unprecedented departure on the standard format of a meet the-press program Ajit Panja said no reports should emanate from what he felt was an informal meeting as he was not prepared for a question and answer session.

That set the tone for the meeting _ Asked about the Governments dillydallying on the proposed cable TV legislation and privatization of the metro channel Panja refused point-blank to answer.

“Let us talk about other things and not about Information and broadcasting” he pleaded.

Would Congress politics be a more palatable subject he was asked after his reluctance to answer questions regarding his ministry?

However repeating the same mock answer he said “you know I never get into all that.”

After this a brief silence followed as correspondents wonder what other common point of conversation could possibly be dredged up. Evidently realizing that questions on his Ministry were inevitable Panja fielded some hesitant queries the murder of Ajit employee M.L Manchanda by the simple expedient of referring correspondent to the Home Ministry.

Nevertheless he kept mentioning it was they who conducted negotiations for Manchanda’s release. It was they who decided that an appeal for his life should not be telecast and it was they who prevented Panja from going to Punjab. The minister applied the same Ploy to questions on Doordarshan you must ask the DG Doordarshan.

“Why don’t you speak to the Deputy DGs” he kept repeating

Telling him that the DG never spoke to the Press did not elicit answers just a muttered “I will tell him.”

Five minutes into the meeting newspersons present were wondering why he had turned up at all.

In a bid to inject some life into the proceedings a correspondent asked about the Bofors “blackout” in the official media.

Panja appeared oblivious of the question and looked around hopefully until someone obliged by asking another

Repeated attempts to bring up the subject failed until one of the Organizers tapped his arm and asked him to address himself to the correspondent’s question.

“According to the newsroom staff you were responsible for the black-out” the correspondent began.

Before the question was completed Panja launched into a furious outburst “You I do not want to answer. From the beginning all that I have said has come out opposite in your paper” With hands folded he begged the correspondent to excuse him from answering.

He was to express his ire towards members of the Press at three points during the meeting.

He accused them of misreporting and of not carrying his contradictions but disregarded requests that he substantiate the charge.

Finally compered on the Bofors question he opted for a neat sidestep saying “I never telephone the newsroom staff. On Doordarshan I speak only with the Joint Secretary Broadcasting you know” he said.

At another point he was asked about the implementation of the Prasar Bharati Act” Your deadline is approaching in a week. Are you going to do something before that” he was asked.

“I will not answer that please do not ask me” he said.

A question on infrastructure for AIR and Doordarshan turned out to be a heaven-sent opportunity for him as he launched into a long lecture

There was just time enough for another uncomfortable question however.

Asked about the controversial conversion of commissioned programs (paid for by Doordarshan) into lucrative sponsored ones (financed by sponsors) he said this was done because Doordarshan was short of funds.

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