Dramatic scenes unfolded during a press conference of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Kollam on Monday, as journalists protested what they described as selective access to questions.
The press meet, held as part of the Chief Minister’s election campaign, saw Vijayan initially taking only three questions, reportedly from CPM-affiliated outlets Kairali TV and Deshabhimani, before attempting to conclude the interaction abruptly.
This triggered strong objections from other journalists present, who questioned the fairness of limiting questions to select media organisations. Reporters raised slogans, saying, “This is not right, CM. It is not enough to answer only Kairali TV and Deshabhimani,” and challenged the purpose of calling a press conference without accommodating broader media queries.
Amid the uproar, Vijayan briefly returned to his seat and said that not everyone could be given an opportunity due to time constraints. He took a few additional questions, including on the Mundakkai resettlement issue, before ending the interaction.
“Questions should be asked and not kept only in your mind. I could answer only the questions which you ask, and not all would get the chance during a press meet. Now time is over,” he said before walking away.
The press conference was intended to highlight the achievements of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, but was overshadowed by criticism over alleged attempts to sidestep uncomfortable questions, including those related to opposition allegations and reported links with the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).
The episode adds to a history of tense interactions between Vijayan and the media, including past incidents in 2017 and 2018 where confrontations with journalists drew public attention.