DIG, other cops touch leader's feet

Subservient officers line up to seek his blessings

In an act reflecting subservience, Uttar Pradesh policemen, including senior officers, literally queued up to touch the feet of a senior Samajwadi Party leader on Friday when he arrived in Mathura on a visit.

There was a scramble of sort among the cops, when SP General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav came out of the vehicle. They all, including Deputy Inspector General of Police Gulab Singh were caught on camera touching Yadav’s feet without realising for a moment about the kind of message they were giving to honest and upright officers.Singh made the first move and then others formed a queue to please the ruling party leader. Incidentally, Singh has only recently been promoted to the rank of DIG.

Yadav, who is the brother of the SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, appeared to be comfortable with the policemen’s behaviour and did not ask them to stop. In the past also, UP officials, including senior bureaucrats, have been found touching the feet of SP leaders and senior ministers.

The then city magistrate of Etawah, Sharda Prasad Yadav, had rushed to touch the feet of UP minister Shivpal Singh Yadav, when he had arrived at the police lines in the district a few months back. Not wanting to be left behind in seeking the blessing of his political master, Superintendent of Police Rishipal Singh also ran toward the minister and touched his feet.

Then also the two officials were caught by the cameras much to their embarrassment.SP leaders, however, found nothing wrong with this. 

“Sometimes officials have personal relations with leaders. Under such circumstances, they may touch the leader’s feet. What is wrong with that?” a leader said.“This is Indian culture. Paying respect is a part of it. Such things should not be blown out of proportion.”

When the Bahujan Samaj Party was in power, the SP had raised a hue and cry when a senior police officer, deployed in the then Chief Minister Mayawati’s security, had wiped dust from her sandal after she alighted from a chopper in Aurayia district.