Video: Congress MP piggybacks on villager during Bihar flood survey, sparks row

A video of Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Tariq Anwar being carried on the shoulders of locals through a flood-affected area in Bihar’s Katihar district is rapidly going viral on social media, triggering widespread discussion.

The 1-minute-12-second clip captures the 74-year-old leader being carried by one of the locals on his back while wading through water.

According to reports, Anwar initially travelled by tractor through the remote, waterlogged terrain. Another video clip also shows the same. However, when the vehicle could no longer go further, and walking became necessary, the MP, citing ill health, was seen being lifted and carried by locals through the affected area. The unusual sight was captured on video and has since sparked widespread attention online.

The video was recorded during his two-day tour of his constituency, Barari and Manihari Assembly segments, where he was inspecting flood and erosion-affected areas. After completing a review in Barari, the Congress MP proceeded to Shivnagar Sonakhal in Dhuriahi Panchayat under Manihari to assess the situation on the ground.

In response to the growing circulation of the footage, Katihar District Congress President Sunil Yadav released a statement defending the MP's actions. He clarified that Anwar was physically unwell and unable to walk through the flooded region, prompting locals to carry him out of concern and affection.

“This act reflects the public’s love and respect for their representative,” Yadav said, while acknowledging that the visuals have become a subject of political conversation.

The act has triggered criticism in the political realm. BJP leader Guru Prakash Paswan, while speaking to India Today, said, "What are you trying to do...you are on the shoulder of a common Bihari and then you are visiting the flood affected areas? This sense the clear of entitlement the Congress leadership. The Congress is an organisation of privileged dynast...What is he trying to convey? This is beyond our comprehension....This shows how Congress leadership and the entire party have left no stones unturned to insult Bihari sentiment."

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Inputs from Bipul Rahul