A lady head-constable of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) posted at Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport on Tuesday demonstrated that if one had the will, VVIPs were willing to listen.

Around 11am on Tuesday, she stopped Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav from entering the premises of the airport through the exit gate. In spite of the Union minister's attempts to persuade her to allow him to enter, the constable stood her ground and blocked the gate. The Telegraph is withholding the name of the spunky lady constable on request of her superiors who don't want her to be the subject of any future harassment by VVIPs.

Ram Kripal, junior minister for drinking water and sanitation, didn't press the matter and took the proper way in. He was at the airport to greet ministerial colleague Bandaru Dattatreya.

Ram Kripal, the Lok Sabha member from Patliputra, later admitted his mistake. "I got confused regarding the gates at the airport as I was in a hurry to receive my colleague (Dattatreya). I should not have tried to enter through the exit gate. However, when the lady constable asked me to enter through the 'entry' gate, I obeyed her," he said. "I did not argue with the officer or say anything to her," Ram Kripal added. The lady head-constable said she was just doing her duty. "I could have been suspended had I allowed the Union minister to enter through the exit gate," she said.

Airport sources said the rules strictly prohibit entry of any person through the exit gate. A signboard of "No Entry" is also placed atop the exit gate. "The sign of no-entry is distinctly visible right above the exit gate and no one is allowed to enter through it. The Union minister could have been allowed entry through the VVIP gate had his protocol officers given prior intimation," said a CISF official under condition of anonymity.