Madhya Pradesh minister Gauri Shankar Bisen, who landed in a controversy after he was caught by television cameras getting his shoe laces tied by a tribal boy, on Sunday apologised for the incident and swore he would only wear shoes without laces from now onwards.
"I admit it was my mistake and I am sorry for it," he told reporters after the incident caught on camera hit the media spotlight. "I swear that from now onwards, I will not wear any shoes with laces. I have specially brought from Pune six pairs of shoes without laces," he said.
Bisen found himself in a tight spot after he was caught by TV cameras getting his shoelaces tied by a boy at a public function at Khamra in the presence of Union Minister for Urban Development Kamal Nath two days back.
The state minister claimed that following his bypass surgery, doctors had advised him not to bend forward, after which he employed this student -- Chhotu -- to take care of his personal needs. He said that when the boy saw that he was finding it difficult to tie the shoelace, he himself came to his help.
Bisen said that 18-year-old Shubham (Chotu) is not a tribal. He strongly criticised Kamal Nath and Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee President Kantilal Bhuria for "spreading a lie that the boy is a tribal without verifying facts."
