Watch in Video : Security guard tying shoelace of a WB Minister

Picture courtesy ANI on Twitter

Kolkata : A minister of West Bengal on Monday was caught on camera and courted controversy with a video, in which the minister was letting a security guard tie his shoelace on the sidelines of a public function in Kolkata. The planning and development minister in the state government Rachhpal Singh caught on tape while tying his shoelaces at the state secretariat, Nabanna.

The Minister Singh is a Trinamool Congress MLA from Tarakeshwar and a former IPS officer, drew flak as TV channels broadcast video footage showing a security officer tying the shoelaces after Singh paid homage to sculptor and painter Ramkinkar Baij on his birth anniversary at the secretariat.

Soon after the footage was aired on TV news channels, opposition leaders and civil society activists criticised Singh, a former Indian Police service officer.

Kolkata: Security guard ties shoe laces of Rachpal Singh (Minister of planning & implementation, WB) https://t.co/KSgn4eaDXS

— ANI (@ANI_news) May 25, 2015

"Such a thing is unthinkable in the 21st century. This is reflective of the political bankruptcy of the Trinamool Congress and its leaders," said CPI-M leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, former mayor of Kolkata. Social activist Miratun Nahar and theatre personality Kaushik Sen too condemned the incident.

"Unless those surrounding ministers and influential people stop resorting to sycophancy, such incidents will continue to happen. I have serious doubts if Singh is aware about Baij or his exploits," said Sen. Former police officer Samir Ganguly said he was not surprised by the incident.

"Sycophancy is a part of the department. There are many who shamelessly run errands for their superiors, hoping for a better posting and promotion," said Ganguly, former deputy commissioner of city police.

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