Governor seeks Bulletproof Bedroom

The Haryana Governor has put in what has to be one of the most bizarre gubernatorial requests.

Surely you’ve never heard of Jagannath Pahadia. Nor had we, until we discovered that the 77-year-old Haryana Governor had put in what has to be one of the most bizarre gubernatorial requests. Pahadia wants the bedroom—and only the bedroom—of his official residence in Chandigarh bulletproofed. Now, the high constitutional post that he occupies certainly makes him a VIP. But why would a septuagenarian relic of the Congress party, and a one-time chief minister of Rajasthan, fear for his life, already well protected by the reasonably heavy security ring all governors are entitled to? A Raj Bhawan spokesperson who confirms that the bulletproofing work is afoot “full swing”, clarifies that Pahadia isn’t doing this to protect himself, but the Prime Minister. Confused? Apparently, the Governor would like to throw open the doors of his bedroom to the PM whenever he is in Chandigarh next, and Pahadia’s hospitality would be incomplete without a room secure enough for Dr Manmohan Singh. “We are doing this solely keeping in mind the security needs of the PM,” says the spokesperson.

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