Sleepless over slippers: Add to your list Mr CM

In the recently held 15th DMK General Council meeting, Chief Minister MK Stalin admonished loose cannon ministers and party seniors for giving sleepless nights through their controversial speeches and actions.

While he was speaking, party Treasurer TR Balu kicked off yet another controversy by asking his assistant to carry his slippers to the stage to wear them. Ironically, it was around the time when Stalin was talking to his party cadre about the social media spotlight.

Before the meeting commenced, the party seniors including the Chief Minister paid respect to their ideological guru Periyar, and left their slippers out, which in itself was superstitious. When the leaders walked on to the stage and started the meeting, Balu asked his assistant to bring his slippers.

When the video of his assistant carrying slippers was shared on social media, naturally, commentary and criticism followed, especially questioning the validity of the DMK enabling social respect in the society.

But let’s first disabuse ourselves of the notion that such incidents are rare, as it wouldn’t be the first-time elected leaders were filmed abusing their assistants or oppressed people. When AIADMK was in power, then Forest Minister Dindigul Srinivasan made a tribal student carry his slipper. It continued in the DMK regime as well, when the Fisheries Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan made a fisherman carry him in water during an inspection.