The Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal invited a lot of flak on Monday when a minister was caught on camera making his security personnel tie his shoe laces.
Rachpal Singh, the minister for planning and development in the Mamata Banerjee government, was at the state secretariat for a tribute to celebrated artist Ramkinkar Baij, when his personal guard was seen tying his laces.
The minister had apparently taken off his shoes to garland the artiste’s statue. As he tried to put them back on, the policeman rushed to help and the minister did not stop him.
The incident invited a lot of flak from opposition parties and led to an uproar inside the West Bengal assembly, causing further embarrassment for the Trinamool Congress party.
This is not the first time that such an incident has taken place.
In October 2014, pictures of Deputy Inspector General of Police in Jammu, Shakeel Beig getting his shoelaces tied by an armed security man went viral when his son tweeted the pictures. In another photograph, an army jawan acts as a caddie while the DIG’s son is playing golf.
In September, 2014, Union home minister Rajnath Singh got his shoelaces tied by a jawan of the Border Security Force, which led to bitter criticism of the minister.
Image: The TMC minister gets his security personnel to tie his laces for him. Photograph: ANI/Twitter