Special: Union ministers miffed with 'rude' SPG men at 7 Race Course Road
July 21, 2012 10:46 IST
Union Ministers Dr Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jairam Ramesh and G K Vasan have complained to Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth about the rude behaviour of the Special Protection Group personnel at 7 Race Course Road, the prime minister's residence.
Cosequently, Seth apologised on behalf of the SPG and promised that the commandoes would henceforth behave politely.
An angry Abdullah narrated the incident to the cabinet secretary on Thursday before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived for the Cabinet meeting. Nabi and Ramesh said their Cabinet papers were checked when their cars were entering the prime minister's house to attend the meeting of the Union Cabinet.
"This is not the first time; at least four or five such incidents have taken place this year," Vasan said.
"We will go back if the SPG does not learn the basics. Such security exercises are appreciated inside the PM's house complex, but not on the road. Are we unwanted elements inside 7 Race Course Road? Let me bring this to the notice of the prime minister," added Abdullah.
Seth is said to have apologised to the disgruntled ministers with folded hands . When the ministers saw the PM arriving, the issue was treated as closed.
The SPG had pushed aside a Bahujan Samaj Party MP inside the Parliament corridors during the Budget session. And it was Pranab Mukherjee, finance minister then, who tendered an apology as the leader of Lok Sabha.
"The SPG will never learn; they are rude. The SPG team working for Sonia Gandhi and Rahul often ill-treat MPs," said a Union minister.
A Correspondent in New Delhi
