Flood fury: Indian MP lambasted on Twitter for being lifted over ankle-deep water
An Indian member of parliament has felt the wrath of social media after being carried above ankle-deep flood waters while visiting a region devastated by deadly monsoon rains.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was hoisted by two local police officers as he surveyed the damage in a region where 40 people have died and several hundred thousand have been displaced.
Twitter users have blasted Chouhan for being out of touch and insensitive.
That's Shivraj Singh chauhan, MP's Chief Minister. This is wrong on so many levels. #ModiSarkar#AcheDin#BJPpic.twitter.com/ekK6OMo7lU
— Abhisek Rai Akrant (@AtrangiLekhak) August 21, 2016
Shivraj Singh Chouhan Ji, you need to get your hands dirty and your feet wet,Sir ! And avoid the Business Class seat https://t.co/HstUOvuQwG
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) August 22, 2016
#India Shivraj Singh Chouhan on a human chair: Impunity for VIPs' bad behaviour - Firstpost https://t.co/9px0QXTF4o
— Your Newsreader (@newsisay) August 22, 2016
Why Shivraj Singh Chouhan didn't want to get his 'soos' and 'saks' wet .. https://t.co/1vat4B4DRo
— Dennis Marcus Mathew (@dennismarcus) August 22, 2016
One opted for parody by doctoring the image of him being lifted through the flood and combining it with another infamous doctored image - that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘inspecting’ the flood damage of Chennai through his airplane window last year.
Modi taking aerial survey of Shivraj singh chouhan's ground survey of flood affected areas in Madhya Pradesh pic.twitter.com/lZMuF7gzCP
— Harley Quinn (@ritikajain01) August 22, 2016
Some drew comparisons with similar practices in India during British colonial times.
A Sikkimese woman carrying a British man on her back, circa 1900 while MP CM #ShivrajSinghChouhan in 2016 @BBCHindipic.twitter.com/cICiKAvUqJ
— Nitin Srivastava (@TweetNitinS) August 22, 2016
It appears that Chouhan is not the only one to have made such bad judgments, however.
@TweetNitinS@BBCHindi@HistoryInPics Nitin Ji you forgot to add this pic, ppl from your fraternity pic.twitter.com/VHEatJSyu6
— नंदिता ठाकुर (@nanditathhakur) August 22, 2016
Chouhan attempted to limit the PR damage by later tweeting pictures of himself wading through the flood waters barefoot, but it appears unlikely to have the desired effect.
पन्ना के बाढ़ प्रभावित क्षेत्रों का दौरा किया। गढ़ोखर,कमताना,सिंघोरा सहित कई गाँवों के बाढ़ पीड़ितों को सांत्वना दी। pic.twitter.com/7Sd9vszpbh
— ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) August 21, 2016