Keonjhar: Internet erupted in outrage after a video of a man carrying the shoes of Transport Minister Padmanabh Behera during a Republic Day function went viral on Sunday.
In the video, the unidentified man is seen holding the shoes of the minister, who hoisted the Tricolour at the district-level R-Day celebrations in Keonjhar.
According to reports, Behera had taken off his shoes while unfurling the national flag. Later, the person was seen handing over the pair of shoes to the minister.
The minister, however, refuted the charge that somebody was carrying his shoes. “As a mark of respect, I had taken off my shoes while hoisting the Tricolour. Nobody was carrying my shoes,” he clarified.