Jharkhand's Human Resource Development Minister Neera Yadav paying her respects to a garlanded photo of former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
A Jharkhand minister found herself at the receiving end of jokes after being seen paying tribute to a garlanded photo of former President APJ Abdul Kalam in images that surfaced on social media.
The pictures were reportedly taken at a school function where Neera Yadav, the state's Human Resource Development minister, was chief guest. The pictures were published in a newspaper.
NDTV cannot independently verify the authenticity of the photos.
People on social networking sites pulled no punches as they criticised the minister for seemingly paying tributes to Dr Kalam, who is alive and well.According to media reports, BJP MLA Manish Jaiswal, school teacher Umesh Prasad and others were also present there.
Ms Yadav denies that she had paid posthumous tributes to the former President and missile scientist.
"There were many portraits of leaders kept at the school. Mr Kalam was was one of them. I only applied a
tilak. The garland was already there," she said.
"It is wrong to suggest I garlanded the photo. Mr Kalam is a distinguished personality and a former President, everyone knows that," the minister added.