The heartfelt social media post by Uttar Pradesh Minister Asim Arun, who served as Singh’s close protection officer for nearly three years during his tenure as a Special Protection Group (SPG) officer, beautifully highlighted Dr Singh’s perennially grounded, humble nature.
Arun’s tribute gave deep insights into Dr Singh’s personality, underlining his simple lifestyle and connection with the common man.
Arun’s post tells of Dr Singh love for his Maruti Suzuki 800. Despite having 24/7 access to a BMW for official duties, Singh often preferred his Maruti car, it said.
Arun, who led Singh’s close protection team, wrote of how Singh told him, “Asim, I don’t like travelling in this car (BMW). My car is the Maruti.”
Even when he was explained about the BMW’s security features, Singh would seek to go for his Maruti car. This is how Singh kept his connection with his middle-class background, Arun’s post read.”It was as if he was reaffirming his identity as a middle-class man and his commitment to caring for the common man. While the BMW might symbolise the grandeur of the prime minister’s position, in his heart, he saw the Maruti as his car,” the post said.According to Arun, he shared a unique bond with Singh. “As the AIG CPT, my responsibility was to stay with the prime minister at all times, like his shadow. If only one bodyguard could stay with him, it had to be me,” he said.
