Fishermen carry TN minister to shore on their shoulders, Twitter outraged. Watch

While managing to avoid stepping on water, Tamil Nadu
fisheries minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan landed in a controversy while on a
visit to inspect complaints of fishermen on Thursday.

A video of the minister has surfaced showing fishermen
carry the minister on their shoulders to avoid stepping into muddy waters in
Thiruvallur district and is being shared widely on social media.  

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

Clad in spotless white with matching sneakers, the
minister can be seen climbing into a chair kept in the water by the boat before
being carried to the shore.

Denying claims that he refused to step into the
water, the minister said that ‘over-enthusiastic’ fishermen had lifted him on
their own out of affection.

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However, the minister’s explanation failed to calm
tempers on social media where many slammed him for a blatant display of ‘VIP
culture’.  

Radhakrishnan is the minister for animal
husbandry, dairying and fisheries. The five-time MLA won the Tiruchendur constituency
in Thoothukudi district in the recently-concluded assembly elections in Tamil
Nadu.

68-year-old Radhakrishnan had switched from
AIADMK to DMK in 2009.

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan had waded into a similar controversy back in 2016 when policemen were
seen carrying the chief minister on their shoulders during a survey of flood-hit
areas.

Meanwhile, new Union minister of state for
fisheries, animal husbandry and dairies L Murugan , who is also from Tamil
Nadu, said that he will work as a bridge between the union and state government
to improve the lives of fishermen.