Gibbs threatened to pull Obama from New Delhi meeting over press dispute

NEW DELHI: White House press secretary Robert Gibbs had reportedly threatened to pull US President Barack Obama from a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday after security tried to restrict the number of US reporters allowed into the event at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

According to Fox News, the bilateral meeting however proceeded as planned after Indian officials relented.

It was arranged beforehand that eight reporters from the White House press pool would be allowed to attend the meeting, but Indian officials tried to cut the number from eight to five just before the photo-op.

Several US officials pushed to have all eight-pool members let in, but it was not taken seriously until Gibbs said that he was serious about pulling Obama from the event if all of them were not allowed, the report said.

"That whole group is going in because they're going in with me," Gibbs insisted.

A member of the pool said at one point that Gibbs had his foot lodged in the door of Hyderabad House, the venue where the meeting was taking place, asking security officials if they intended to break his foot, the report added.

Obama's stop in New Delhi is part of a 10-day trip to Asia focused on expanding US exports and deepening diplomatic ties.