Media Denied Entry To President's House, "Acche Din" Taunts Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi:  The media was today denied entry inside the President's house after opposition leaders met President Ram Nath Kovind on the SC/ST issue. Reacting to the incident, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said to the media "achche din aa gaye hain". It was an indirect attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2014 election slogan of 'achche din' (good days). 

"In some time, you will reach there...outside India Gate. Then probably, you will not be allowed to stand even there. Achche din aa gaye hain," Mr Gandhi said with a wry smile on his face.

Media persons have been complaining that they, unlike in the past, were not allowed entry into Rashtrapati Bhavan, when a delegation of opposition leaders were meeting the president.

Responding to the queries of media persons, the press secretary to the president of India, Ashok Malik, said media conferences by political leaders are not allowed inside Rashtrapati Bhavan and this practice has been put in place to emphasise the non-partisan nature of the institution.

"Media conferences by political leaders are not permitted within Rashtrapati Bhavan. This norm was put in place by the President after he took office in July 2017, to emphasise the non-partisan nature of the institution. Requests by all political groups are politely declined," he said on Twitter.

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Media persons in the past were allowed entry into Rashtrapati Bhawan to take comments of political leaders after they met the president. 

The leaders usually spoke in the lawns of Rashtrapati Bhawan, near the entry to the President's House, but this has stopped ever since Mr Kovind took over from Pranab Mukherjee.