National

Where protocol takes a beating

By Our Diplomatic Correspondent

NEW DELHI Jan. 7. Protocol is repeatedly falling victim to traffic snarls. The Minister of State for External Affairs, Digvijay Singh, literally ran to receive the Mauritius Prime Minister, Anerood Jugnauth, at the Delhi airport this evening, since he was caught up in traffic.

Mr. Singh was late by a few minutes and he rushed to the tarmac to receive Mr. Jugnauth, who begins his formal State visit to the country from tomorrow. While Mr. Singh was a little late, the Mauritius Prime Minister's aircraft arrived nearly 25 minutes ahead of schedule after visits to Nasik and Shirdi. So, in order to ensure that Mr. Singh was present, the aircraft took its own time to taxi to the reception point where the Minister of State was present to receive Mr. Jugnauth, eyewitness accounts said.

As far as being late is concerned, Mr. Singh did better than his Ministerial colleague, Vijayaraje Scindia, who kept the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, waiting inside his aircraft while she reached the airport in December. A case for Ministers to leave early to perform protocol duties or clearing up the traffic mess at Dhaula Kuan? Or both?

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