At about 3.00 pm today, the fourth floor of Shastri Bhavan, Delhi was abuzz. Staff and office hands working for MP Sachin Pilot were engrossed in incessant whispers. Apparently, the security guard at the gate of building number 6, (in which the MP has his office) had stopped the MP from entering the building because the latter had no entry pass to flash!
Shastri Bhavan in Central Delhi houses several offices of many Ministries of Government of India. Quite a few MPs also operate from there. One among them is Sachin Pilot. The building is heavily guarded and no one is allowed to enter unless he/she has an appointment and the person to be visited gives a go-ahead at the gate. Those allowed entry are provided a pass which is used to gain access into the buildings in the complex.
When this incident happened, this correspondent was in the office of Mr Pilot and witnessed the funny turn of events. According to one of Mr Pilot’s office persons who accompanies the MP in the official vehicle, the security guard’s behaviour was most bizarre. He was heard saying: “The MP got off from an official car that had a red beacon and there were people who got off with him, which is very common for MPs. When the security guard stopped the MP, all of us was taken back. I intervened and told the guard that Mr Pilot is an MP but the guard was not convinced. He continued to obstruct the way.”
Apparently, Mr Pilot too tried to make his way through but on seeing an obstinate security guard, he complied. However minutes later, realising, that the guard was unwilling to budge, Mr Pilot did some quick thinking. He told the guard: “I work on the fourth floor.” That, for some reason, convinced the guard who finally let the MP go ahead.
The guard was quite at home thinking that the MP was just some government official ‘working’ in an office in the building. From what this correspondent gathered from people who work in the building, Mr Sachin Pilot is one well-mannered MP, who conducts himself rather well with everybody.
Last heard, it was Mr Pilot’s office people who were trying hard to find out who this security guard was, hoping to press for some action against him. Mr Pilot probably, forgot all about it, minutes after he entered his office on the fourth floor.