Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan became the face of ridicule on Sunday after a picture of him being carried by two policemen through floodwater went viral on social media.
The chief minister was on a visit to flood-hit areas in Madhya Pradesh when the picture was captured. The picture showed him being lifted by a policeman and a Home Guard officer as he crosses a nullah filled with ankle-deep water in Kamata village near Amangaj town of Panna district.
Chouhan was also seen walking barefoot through mud, while his white sneakers and socks were held by his aide. Explaining the incident, an official from the chief minister's office said that some excited security personnel may have lifted him while he was on the visit. Reports also state that the local police chief decided to lift Chouhan through floodwater as they did not want him get hurt, according to NDTV.
The chief minister visited three different flood-hit areas in the state where incessant rains have caused 15 casualties and many people have been rendered homeless. Reports state that almost 100 villages in the state have been severely affected by the floods. Till now, around 4,500 people have been rescued from the flooded areas. Meanwhile, a bout of heavy rainfall is expected on Tuesday which could make situation even worse.
The picture of the incident went viral on social media and received strong criticism. Here's how the twitterati reacted:
Taking a dig at the chief minister, MP Congress chief Arun Yadav said: "When people were dying he was concerned about his shoes. That shows how serious his government is about reaching out to the affected people," as reported by the Indian Express.
