This Article is From Jul 08, 2021

Watch: Tamil Nadu Minister On Survey Carried On Shoulders By Fishermen

Denying reports that he refused to step in the water, Anitha R Radhakrishnan said "over-enthusiastic" fishermen lifted him on their own out of affection.

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India News Reported by , Edited by
Chennai:

On a visit to inspect complaints of seashore erosion by fishermen, Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan may have managed to avoid stepping into muddy waters but he landed in controversy on Thursday.

A video showing Mr Radhakrishnan being carried by fishermen from a boat to the shore on their shoulders in the Thiruvallur district has been widely shared on social media.

The incident took place at the end of a survey for which he took a boat ride.

Dressed in spotless white complete with matching sneakers, the minister was seen getting onto a chair kept in the water from the boat, before being carried to the shore.

Denying reports that he refused to step in the water, he said "over-enthusiastic" fishermen lifted him on their own out of affection.

"Some hugged me, some even kissed me," the minister told NDTV.

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However, the explanation did not stop the incident from triggering outrage on social media. Many slammed the display of VIP culture.

A five-time MLA who switched to the DMK from the AIADMK in 2009, 68-year-old Mr Radhakrishna, was elected from the Tiruchendur constituency in this year's elections.

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had waded into a similar row in 2016 when he was seen on video being carried by two policemen during a visit to the flood-hit areas of the state.

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