Officials in the security of UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav went into a tizzy on Friday afternoon as the CM and his wife and MP Dimple Yadav got stuck in a lift in the UP Legislature building.
The officials waited with bated breath for an agonizing 24 minutes as Akhilesh and Dimple got stuck when the lift doors did not open automatically on reaching the ground floor. The power couple was finally rescued after cutting through the lift door.
Three engineers who were supposed to on duty were all found absent, and have been suspended. A high-level inquiry has been set up to nail those responsible for the maintenance of lifts in the UP Legislature complex. An FIR has been lodged against the lift manufacturer, too.
The incident has exposed chinks in the CM's security. Akhilesh has an elaborate NSG cover as he is a Z-plus protectee, and his route is checked twice before he goes anywhere. Still, the CM and his wife were caught unawares, clearly due to negligence of the officials responsible for ensuring his safe passage.
"The incident is shocking. Though it was a technical glitch, it has necessitated a complete assessment of the CM's security afresh," said Lucknow SSP Rajesh Pande, answering reporters' queries regarding the incident.
