In what could be the first for Indian TV media, sources say that Times Now has decided to "opt out" of being a part of the media crew which will accompany President Pranab Mukherjee to Sweden. The channel's news crew which was to travel along with the President has been asked to stand down. Sources say an official email has been sent to the Rashtrapati Bhavan from Times Now communicating the same. According to sources in Delhi, there were attempts made by some in the Rashtrapati Bhavan to communicate to representatives of the channel that there should be no reportage around President Mukherjee's recent interview to a Swedish media house stating that Bofors scandal was a media trial. Times Now's representatives reportedly refused to comply stating editorial principles. When contacted, Editor-in-Chief of Times Now Arnab Goswami declined to comment on the issue, but only said: "We do not believe in journalism with strings attached." Times Now, along with other news channels including CNN IBN, NDTV and India Today have been reporting on the interview after The News Minute first broke the story. Read about the ensuing slug-fest between Indian government and the Swedish newspaper here. The Presidential office has however denied any knowledge of Times Now backing out of the state visit to Sweden. Speaking to The News Minute, Venu Rajamani, Press Secretary to the President of India, said, "I am not aware of it." He also denied any communication was made to the news channel over the nature of the coverage. Also Read: You are right Mr. President, Bofors wasn't a scandal, it was a mega-scandal