Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was caught on camera being carried by two policemen on his visit to flood-hit areas in the state on Sunday. Images showed that a policeman and a Home Guard officer lifted Chouhan as he crossed a nullah with ankle-deep water in Kamtana village near Amanganj town of Panna district, reported The Indian Express. In another picture, he is seen walking barefoot through mud while his aide is carrying his white sneakers.
When asked to explain the incident, an official in the chief minister’s office said may be some overzealous security personnel lifted him. According to NDTV, the collector and the local police chief decided to carry Chouhan as they could not risk the chief minister getting hurt or being bitten by snakes.
Chouhan has toured three flood-affected districts of Panna, Rewa and Satna where incessant rain has claimed 15 lives and left many homeless. Nearly 100 villages in these districts have been devastated by the floods, reported The Times of India.
After photographs of the incident went viral on social media, it attracted a lot of criticism. Opposition parties have slammed the chief minister for the incident. State Congress chief Arun Yadav told The Indian Express, “When people were dying he was concerned about his shoes. That shows how serious his government is about reaching out to the affected people.”Last week, Odisha minister Jogendra Behera made his personal security officer untie and tie his shoe strap in full public view at an Independence Day celebration where the politician hoisted the national flag.
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