A ride on the inaugural train on the Central Secretariat-Qutub Minar stretch Friday turned out to be a bitter experience for two journalists as they were allegedly manhandled by a Delhi Metro staffer for taking pictures inside the coach.

A Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) staffer allegedly held the two journalists, including a photographer, by their neck for taking pictures and attempted to push them out of the train stationed at Qutub Minar.

DMRC staffer Daya Shankar, talking to IANS, said the photographers were clicking pictures inside the train even as the time allotted to media was over.

However, the journalists claimed that the DMRC invitation to the media stipulated timings from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m for taking photographs.

'He interrupted us an hour before at around 4 p.m even though we had time till 5 p.m. This kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable,' said a furious journalist, pleading he not be named.

Another journalist said that Metro's Chief Public Relations officer Anuj Dayal had promised to look into the matter.

The control room of Qutub Minar Metro station was also informed about the incident.

The duo belong to a prominent daily and were there to cover the launch function of the Metro stretch.