When Sports Minister MS Gill was made to eat humble pie!

Addressing a press conference

By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)

June 2009

AMRITSAR – Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports M.S. Gill is generally known for treating the fourth estate rather roughly, but on Sunday, he had a rather unusual experience at a media briefing here at Amritsar.

When his attention was drawn to his ’strange style’ of dealing with journalists during a media interaction, Gill was figuratively made to eat humble pie.

The media interaction started off with Gill declaring that he would ‘choose’ only five journalists out of the over 20-odd media men present.

Further, all interested media persons were asked to raise their hands if they wanted to ask questions, like students facing their headmaster.

This journalist couldn’t withhold his heartfelt concern on being treated like a pupil at a school.

He politely asked the Sports Minister after all what makes him ‘dictate’ to journalists when even at the press conference addressed by the Prime Minister or Home Minister, journalists are never subjected to such an undignified experience.

For once, Gill was stumped! Perhaps, he never anticipated such a scathing and introspective question that too publicly.

Realizing the sincere query of this journalist, he stood up from his chair and came close to ask: “My dear, have I replied to your question or not.”

“Of course, you did,” this journalist replied.

But Gill’s attention was also drawn to the way he ‘dictated’ to the rest of the journalists and refused to take part in a group photograph.

Realizing the error of his ways, Gill smiled and said: “Let’s go out and have a cup of tea!”