Alappuzha: In yet another incident of snubbing mediapersons, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday did not allow journalists to cover the proceedings of a meeting held here to review the relief works in flood-hit Kuttanad region.

Pinarayi, who asked reporters and photographers to move out of the meeting hall, abruptly ended the post-meeting media briefing as he was annoyed over a TV reporter's microphone hitting his body. Later, public works minister G Sudhakaran informed media the chief minister cut short his interaction as some people created a rush.

Pinarayi attended the meeting without visiting the flood-affected area.

'Meet a farce'

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress alleged that the review meeting was a farce as the chief minister skipped the plan to visit the affected area.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala skipped the review meeting to mark his protest against alleged apathy of the government in carrying out relief works.

However, ministers Sudhakaran and Thomas Isaac slammed the opposition saying it was trying to politicise a disaster. "Nobody can blame the relief works this government has done," Isaac said.

Earlier in the day, Pinarayi kept mum as reporters sought to know whether he would visit Kuttanad or not.

Pinarayi, who is known for keeping an uneasy relationship with the media, has snubbed journalists earlier also. Last year, a controversy had erupted after an angry Pinarayi asked media persons to get out of a hall ahead of an all-party meeting relating to the political violence in Kannur.