NEW DELHI: Congress President Rahul Gandhi today took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2014 election slogan of 'achche din' (good days) after media persons were not allowed entry into Rashtrapati Bhavan, saying that they would be pushed even further down the Raisina hill in the coming days.
He said this to media persons, who were complaining that they were not allowed entry inside the President's house after opposition leaders met President Ram Nath Kovind on the SC/ST issue.
"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' (Good days are here)," Gandhi said with a wry smile on his face.
Media persons were 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.
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 entrance to the President's House, but this has stopped ever since Kovind took over from Pranab Mukherjee.