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Dancing peacock sends securitymen into a tizzy
A SEND-OFF FOR PM: A peacock unfurls its plumage on the lawns of the Prime Minister's residence in New Delhi on Saturday. — Photo: Shanker Chakravarty
NEW DELHI: When peacocks dance in the wild it is a fascinating sight; but when the national bird shows off its beautiful plumes on the lawns of 7 Race Course Road, it is a security hassle.
Moments before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was to leave on a four-day summit meeting with United States President George W Bush, a peacock broke into a dance.
This was a perfect setting for cameramen to pop their flash bulbs. But the peacock was not in a mood to pose for the `strangers' who were just let in after a stringent security check-up.
The disappointed lensmen were again given an opportunity by the lone peacock on the sprawling lawn of the Prime Minister's residence. But the security personnel this time got cracking, asking the lensmen to honour the time-honoured commitment of not photographing the Prime Minister's residence.
Unable to resist the rare sight, a few lensmen gave the go-by to the commitment for a while and captured the feathered creature in its finery.
Annoyed commandos planned a ``strategy'' and deputed a junior cop to chase away the bird whose presence there was viewed as a ``security hassle''. The bird took refuge in a nearby bush.
After a few minutes, the peacock again appeared in the same spot unfurling its plumes.
As if it was a fairy tale, a cat appeared from nowhere and began enjoying the dance of the bird. This provided a richer opportunity for the camerapersons for a rare frame.
The cop tried to scare away both the bird and the feline visitor. The 30-minute drama ended when the peacock retreated to the bush after it was joined by two peahens, giving a respite to the security personnel. — UNI
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