It all started last year when the Governor decided that he needed a smart Public Relations Officer (PRO). An interview was conducted by a duly constituted board and some names were shortlisted. All those who qualified were women. When voices were raised against this gender bias, some young men were also called for personal interviews but they lost out there.

The interviewees who were shortlisted, all young ladies, were then called by the Governor to meet him personally. He said he wanted to have a tete-a-tete with them. One of the interviewees sent the Governor a text message asking him when and at what time she should come. He texted back saying she should come on 8 December at 7 pm. She registered her name at the gate at 6:55 pm on the appointed day.

It was here that the unsuspecting young lady found the Governor’s body language and his personal queries about her life ‘weird’ as she calls it. He then said that she looks like the Bollywood actor, Deepika Padukone. The young lady might have taken all these compliments with a pinch of salt. What she wanted was the job. But before she left the room where she found herself with only the Governor, he came closer and hugged her and planted a kiss on her cheek.

The young lady was shocked beyond words. She walked out of Raj Bhavan not knowing who to talk to. No job aspirant would have expected such overtures from a prospective employer.