Five times when slipper became the centre of controversy in India

In 2009, a journalist named, Jarnail Singh, threw a shoe at the then Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram. There are multiple incidents involving Rahul Gandhi and slipper.

The recent incident of Shiv Sena MP R Gaikwad hitting a senior Air India staff member with slipper has become the talk of the town. The airline has barred the MP from travelling, and this has been the issue of discussion in the parliament. 

However, this is not the first time when slipper has become the centre of a political controversy in India. 

Here are famous five slipper incidents in the history of India’s politics:

1.    In 1976, during Emergency the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, ND Tiwari, famously carried the slippers of Sanjay Gandhi, the then general secretary of Congress. 

2.    In 2009, a journalist named, Jarnail Singh, threw a shoe at the then Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram. He later stated that it was a protest against the decision of Congress Party to allow Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar to contest in Lok Sabha election despite being accused of 1984 anti-Sikh riots. This incident was caught on camera causing much embarrassment to the party. 

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3.    In 2015, former Union Minister, V Narayanasamy reportedly gave his slippers to Rahul Gandhi when he visited flood-hit Puducherry. According to reports, Rahul Gandhi took off his own shoes to walk the flooded area but the Congress lawmaker offered his own slippers as ‘courtesy’ to him.

4.    In 2016, during a road show at a town in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh, Hari Om Mishra hurled a shoe at Rahul Gandhi. The 25-year-old social worker reportedly did it due to disappointment in politicians. In fact, in 2012 also Rahul Gandhi became the target of a similar slipper attack in Dehradun during a political rally.

5.    In 2016, when Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was addressing a press conference about the odd-even scheme a political activist named, Ved Prakash Sharma, took off his slipper and threw it towards the chief minister in protest of the plan alleging it to be a part of ‘CNG scam’ according to reports. 

Watch the video here: