Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday got stuck in a lift and later had to climb a stool to scale the wall, sending his security officials into a tizzy for some moments.
The incident happened when Singh went to visit a Central Reserve Police Force complex in South Delhi to attend the 'Valour Day' celebrations of the central paramilitary force.
Describing the incident, while addressing the function, the home minister said he himself took the initiative to evacuate three others -- Minister of State for Home Haribhai Chaudhary, CRPF Chief Prakash Mishra and Singh's OSD B K Singh -- before he came out of the elevator.
"We were coming by the lift...it got stuck... you become claustrophobic... we had to climb a stool to get out... It was
then that I decided that first the CRPF DG should come out of the lift, then my MoS (Chaudhary)... and then only I will come
out after evacuating others.
"So, why I am saying all this... because one should do his or her work keeping in mind others' well-being and one should work with pious thoughts," he said.
Officials who were present during the short duration incident said Singh's OSD first came out of the stuck lift and then he and others pulled out the other three.
The lift in the CRPF 'Shaurya' premises here is placed to ferry people from the ground floor to the first where the auditorium is located.
Officials said they could see palpable tension on the faces of security officials who accompany the Home Minister, who enjoys 'Z+' category security by 'Black Cat' commandos of NSG, besides other personnel for proximate security.
The Home Minister quipped that all those present during the incident had a hearty laugh to know that ITBP chief Krishna Chaudhary was the "heaviest" amongst all the paramilitary chiefs as he had to stay out from the lift for the next ferry.
