I was once at the late Rajesh Pilot's residence where the annual Kisan lunch was organised. As a reporter, my attention was fixed on the former Prime Minister, PV Narsimha Rao, who had been invited as a guest. Though Rao was no longer in office, he still held the position of leader within the Congress parliamentary party. At that time, the then Congress party president, Sitaram Kesri, had issued him an ultimatum to resign from his post as parliamentary party leader, and there was mounting pressure on him to do so. For Rao, time was of the essence. Despite the presence of Special Protection Group (SPG) security making it difficult to approach him for a TV interview, I was very keen to have his statement captured on camera.

As he concluded his lunch and began to make his way towards his car, I impulsively moved towards him. Before I could fully comprehend the situation, a member of the SPG security team struck me, causing me to fall to the ground. Mr. Rao was preparing to enter his car when I cried out, "Mr. Rao, your security personnel are assaulting me." Without hesitation, Rao emerged from the car and assured me that no harm would come to me. I rose to my feet, thrust my microphone towards him, and asked, "Will you resign?" He responded forcefully, "The question does not arise." With that, I had my exclusive headline, and his convoy departed.

For a young reporter like myself, it was a significant scoop. The following day, it dominated the front pages of all the newspapers. During this time, television news was still in its infancy, and reporters such as myself were often referred to as "bite collectors". While we were not yet treated as celebrities, the........

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