BENGALURU: Akshata Murty, wife of the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, was recently spotted browsing books at a book fair with her children and parents, Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy and eminent writer-philanthropist Sudha Murty, near Raghavendra Mutt in JP Nagar, Bengaluru, in a viral video that garnered praise for her simplicity.
However, concerns about security have been raised, given her status as Britain's first lady. Yet the city police have reiterated that security arrangements can only be made based on directives from the government.
The video showing the family browsing books was posted on Monday, but it is not known when that outing happened. It received over 7,000 views, but also prompted concerns about security as Akshata is now a VVIP.
One of the users on X questioned, “Who will provide security—India or the UK. Since it is her personal visit, India cannot offer security, and the UK typically does not prioritize security for such visits.”
Another user posted, “The security breach is highly irresponsible, and if anything were to happen to her here, the Indian Embassy would be held accountable.”
Earlier this month, Akshata Murty was spotted enjoying ice cream with her father Narayana Murthy at an ice cream parlour in Jayanagar.
Following the viral spread of the photo, users expressed concerns similarly, with one commenting, "The dad and daughter duo look simple and elegant, but is there security around?"
Another asked, "Security must be provided, I hope there are security personnel out of the frame."
A senior police official told The New Indian Express that security can only be provided based on instructions from the government. "It appears that she is on a personal visit and not in the official capacity. The security would have been different if she was on an official visit. However, the security protocol depends on the directives of the government and inputs by central agencies."