“On duty to protect Maya, cop cleans her shoes”

An interesting news from zeenews.com (Feb. 8, 2011):

Lucknow: Mayawati’s quirky ways are in the news again, Tuesday. This time it’s because of her personal security officer (PSO) who went beyond his call of duty to clean the Chief Minister’s shoes when they got dusty.

The incident took place in Auraiya district on Sunday during her visit to an Ambedkar village. As per the video footage of the incident, as soon as she stepped out of her chopper, she is seen talking to her PSO Padm Singh while also pointing to her shoes.

Singh, a DSP rank police officer, is then seen looking for something inside the chopper only to quickly take out a handkerchief from his pocket to begin cleaning her shoes.

The shoe-wiping continued for a few minutes even as Mayawati stood talking to district officials who had converged on the tarmac to welcome her.

Padm Singh is said to be part of her security entourage for the past 15 years and had recently got a year’s extension in service. He is also a recipient of the President’s medal of honour.

As expected the Congress and the Samajwadi Party have latched on the incident and have termed is as shameful. Both the parties are demanding that the Chief Minister apologise for the incident and that action be taken against the shoe-cleaner officer.

Source: http://www.zeenews.com/news685792.html

Also see a report on the same incidence:

• Times of India: “Security guard bends down to clean Mayawati’s shoes, opposition slams CM”
• Deccan Chronicle: “Security officer stoops to clean Mayawati’s shoes, oppn rages”
• दैनिक भास्कर (Dainik Bhaskar): “रुको बहनजी, जरा आपका जूता तो साफ कर दूं!”