TN minister asks tribal boy to remove his footwear, sparks outrage
Video goes viral
Udhgagamandalam(TN), Feb 6: A Tamil Nadu minister made a tribal boy remove his slippers during the inauguration of an elephant camp in Theppakadu near here on Thursday, a video of which went viral drawing flak from the DMK and a section of social media users.
The incident occurred when Forest Minister Dindigul C Srinivasan came to inaugurate the elephant rejuvenation camp in Theppakadu, in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, 40 kms from here.
Facing criticism, the Minister, a senior AIADMK leader, sought to downplay the incident, saying the boy was like his 'grandson' and what happened was 'coincidental' and that his intention was not to hurt anyone.
DMK President M K Stalin hit out at Srinivasan, saying he had "violated oath" taken as a minister.
When Srinivasan along with the district collector and other officials were proceeding to the camp, he called a tribal boy and asked him to remove his footwear so as to enter a temple there and perform pooja.
The boy readily obliged and removed the slippers in full public view.
It is not clear as to why Srinivasan asked the boy to remove his footwear.
The incident also caused outrage on the social media with several condemning it and seeking action against the Minister under the SC/ST Act.
In his defence, the Minister said he didn't know who the boy was.
"He looked like my grandson. I called him and asked to remove the buckle of my footwear which he did. That is all.
I don't even know who he was. It was just a coincidence," he told reporters.
Saying that it was not proper for some to rake up the issue, he said he did not intend to hurt anyone.
Stalin, also the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, lashed out at Srinivasan over the episode.
A couple of state Ministers were "violating the oath taken under the Constitution and Srinivasan has also done the same," he told reporters.
"People are watching it," he said, and sought to bring it to the notice of Chief Minister K Palaniswami.
Tamil Nadu Forest Minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan asked two tribal boys to remove his slippers to enter a shrine. Sack him from his position immediately. pic.twitter.com/icK5U1rDlH
— Saumya (@Saumyart) February 6, 2020
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Police arrested Kejriwal's aide at same time his anticipatory bail plea was being heard: Atishi
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Minister Atishi alleged on Saturday that the city police arrested Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar at the same time his anticipatory bail plea was being heard in court.
Kumar was arrested on Saturday in connection with the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal, officials said.
He was picked up from the chief minister's residence by a Delhi Police team around noon, a senior officer said.
Addressing a press conference, Atishi said Kumar had filed a plea for anticipatory bail before the Tis Hazari court.
Kumar was picked up for questioning by the Delhi Police around 11 am. As soon as he was taken for questioning, news channels started saying he had been arrested, she claimed.
"This shows the BJP's conspiracy. Their intention is to disturb our election campaign and Arvind Kejriwal," she said.
Atishi said the Tis Hazari court considered Kumar's matter urgent and agreed to hear his plea on Saturday itself.
"The court commenced hearing on his plea at 3:55 pm and within 20 minutes, the Delhi Police arrested him at the Civil Lines police station. As soon as his lawyers began arguments, the police learnt that their case is weak and Kumar would get relief. So they arrested Kumar," she claimed.
Atishi alleged that when the court was dictating its order on the matter at 4:55 pm, the Delhi Police lawyer appeared through videoconferencing and said Kumar had already been arrested.
Kumar's anticipatory bail plea has become "infructuous" as he has been arrested, the court observed.
The chief minister's aide, accused of assaulting Maliwal on May 13 at Kejriwal's residence, was arrested two days after an FIR was registered against him at the Civil Lines police station.
Additional Sessions Judge Sushil Anuj Tyagi, while dictating the order to the court staff on the anticipatory bail plea, noted that Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar Srivastava appeared through videoconferencing around 4:45 pm and informed the court that Kumar had already been arrested.
Atishi said, "Even they knew that their case was weak and if the case was heard, Bibhav Kumar would get bail. That is why tomorrow (Sunday) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will lead all AAP leaders and to the BJP headquarters and court arrest."
Kejriwal said he and other AAP leaders would go to the BJP headquarters on Sunday "so that the prime minister can send anyone he wants to jail".
The BJP is saying they would send AAP MP Raghav Chadha and Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj to jail, he claimed at a press briefing, hours after Kumar was arrested.
