From correspondents in Delhi, India, 06:32 PM IST

Fear of the shoe is stalking Indian politicians and many of them aren't taking any chances.

While Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was seen with a net in front of a dais in Ahmedabad, his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Mayawati has increased the distance between herself and the press while speaking to reporters.

At the Congress headquarters in Delhi - where a shoe-throwing episode in the presence of Home Minister P. Chidambaram started it all, eagle-eyed security men are watching out for journalists who try to take their shoes off.

So it did not come as a surprise when new Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla took charge Tuesday, two tough looking men watched the media. When a curious journalist asked one of the burly men if he was a journalist or was simply keeping track of shoe-throwing, the answer was just a smile.

After the infamous episode of a Delhi journalist hurling a shoe at Chidambaram, shoe throwing seems have become a trend with the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate L.K. Adavni as well as Congress MP Naveen Jindal becoming victims.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)