Cong MP piggybacks on villagers for flood check

FORMER Union minister and Congress MP Tariq Anwar has courted controversy after a video showed him riding piggyback on farmers while visiting flood-affected areas in Bihar's Katihar district.

- RAMASHANKAR @ Patna

In the viral clip, villagers are seen wading through a waterlogged field, carrying Anwar on their backs, last Sunday. The Congress MP from Katihar was on a two-day visit to his constituency to assess the damage caused by the flood and to evaluate the overall flood situation. He toured the flood-affected areas by tractor and boat.

According to reports, Anwar tried to travel by tractor, but when the vehicle stalled and walking was needed, the MP, citing ill health, rode on locals' backs to visit the area.