Uttar Pradesh's political heavyweights Chief Minister Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav are amongst the most heavily guarded politicians in the state with over 400 policemen deployed in their security.

For instance, Mayawati is surrounded by 60 Black Cat Commandos but she wanted a Special Protection Group cover. When the Centre said no, she got 300 state policemen, armed and dressed as SPG lookalikes to guard her.

On the other hand, Mulayam Singh Yadav has 18 NSG commandos and 48 state policemen guarding him.

Such large number of security personnel are involved in protecting those who face no specific terror threats.

This is happening in a state where the police-civilian ratio is dismal at 1:1800 and where armed murders and attacks on women are the highest in the country. It is also going on in a state where the police force is about 20 per cent short-staffed at any given point.

''When policemen from the district are deputed for VIP security, then the thana police force, the district police force, is depleted. That in turn deprives the common man of the normal security they expect from the police force,'' said Sriram Arun, former DGP Uttar Pradesh.

So, that's the Uttar Pradesh's security story where there are overprotected politicians and insecure civilians.