Afzal Aftermath: Delhi Secretariat bars entry of snooping scribes

Facing short pitched stuff from the Opposition, media and the general public alike, the Delhi government went behind an iron curtain on Wednesday.

The Sheila Dikshit government, showing exemplary dexterousness, returned the file of Afzal Guru's mercy petition to the Lieutenant Governor's office clarifying the points with which the latter had returned the file on Tuesday.

However, most of the government babus, including the chief minister, remained unavailable to the media with the official seat of the government - Players Building - at ITO remaining out of bounds for journalists.
Newspersons from several organisation were denied entry beyond the reception on the first floor of the sprawling secretariat. The Delhi Police personnel refused entry passes to journalists who visit the building almost daily.

"No one is allowed to go beyond first floor of the building. There is an order from the top office that no journalist should be allowed to go beyond first floor," said the duty clerk who was issuing entry passes.
The multi-storeyed Players Building has offices of ministers on different floors and chief minister Sheila Dikshit sits on the third floor. Being the seat of the government, the building is a hub of journalists who could be seen moving around offices of ministers and secretaries.

Though no official was available to speak over the issue, sources in the government said that diktat came following brisk developments over the pending mercy plea of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The Union Home ministry had said that the file of Afzal Guru is pending with Delhi government for the last four years. Reacting quickly, the state government sent the file for consideration to the LG's office in a jiffy and later returned the file within 12 hours saying it was "vague".

However, today the file was returned to the LG office with clarifications asked for.
While Dikshit categorically denied sharing anything from the report, she has made it clear that all the queries from the media persons would be answered on Saturday after the LG office takes "a stand" on the report.

Official sources while sharing the nature of the explanation sought by the LG office said, "The LG has asked the Delhi government to clearly state whether it wants Afzal Guru to be hanged or not. The report filed by the state government came with a rider that the hanging could lead to a communal problem in the city, but now the state government has said a clear yes," he said.

But till Saturday, Players Building is expected to remain a no-man's land for the scribes who have been accused of leaking the confidential report related to a terrorist on the death row. Officials meanwhile also shared that Dikshit is a little extra cautious in dealing with the "sensitive" issue.