In what is being seen as a security lapse, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy found himself in a taxi after his official car did not arrive on time to collect him up from the airport in the state capital yesterday.
Not wishing to wait for his official car, the chief minister, who was returning from New Delhi, got into a taxi to go to his office.
Reporters questioned the chief minister about what was termed “a security lapse” by some.
“Yes, I took a taxi. So what? In Delhi too, I rode in a taxi,” Chandy responded.
The police, however, are not taking the matter so lightly. A probe has already begun into how the “lapse” occurred.
The chief minister’s office said the problem was caused as the aircraft from Delhi arrived earlier than scheduled.
The scheduled time of arrival of the aircraft from Delhi was 10.50am, but it touched down at Thiruvananthapuram airport at 10.18am. Except for Chandy’s official vehicle, the security entourage was fully ready, so the chief minister jumped into a taxi, an official in the chief minister’s office said.
Chandy’s official car driver saw the entourage zip past to the office from the airport, and realised something was amiss.
State Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala was amused by the reporters’ curiosity, and laughed the matter away.