In a viral video the Tamil Nadu Minister for Fisheries Anitha R Radhakrishnan can be seen being carried to the shore by fishermen. The video is from Thursday when the minister visited Thiruvallur’s Palaverkadu area to inspect sea erosion, reported The News Minute.
Radhakrishnan, who was dressed in white was being carried from his boat to the shore by a few fishermen because he was reportedly hesitant to get his white shoes wet.
It can be seen that the boat was surrounded by ankle-deep water. While other people could be seen walking in shallow water near the shore, a red plastic chair was placed to help the five-time MLA get off the boat. Once out, a fisherman carried him while a few others also assisted him.
#WATCH | Fishermen carry Tamil Nadu Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan on shoulders after he refuses to step into the water during an inspection at Thiruvallur district where fishermen had complained of erosion. pic.twitter.com/55R7PTpk1j
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2021
In his defence, Radhakrishnan said that the people carried him out of love. He insisted that they were not asked to do this.
India Today quoted Radhakrishnan as saying that “if people ask with affection then they should climb.” He further added that it would have been wrong only if he had demanded to climb on their shoulders.
“A Fisheries Minister can climb on a Fisherman’s shoulder only,” said the DMK minister, asking whose shoulders would he climb on, if not fishermen.
However, this is not the first time that a minister has been carried by others while on an inspection. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was also carried by cops when he was visiting a flood-hit area for inspection. The incident happened in 2016.