Every job requires a certain set of skills. Even politics. Among the characteristics that those in public service must possess, it’s safe to say tactfulness and empathy are a couple of really important ones. However, often times we see our politicians land themselves in trouble by saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and place.
Singer cum politician Babul Supriyo definitely knows a thing or two about this, going by the recent comment he made at an event for the differently abled.
The Union Minister was speaking at a function organised to donate wheelchairs and other such aids to the differently abled at Bengal’s Asansol on Tuesday.
However, mid-speech he suddenly became agitated at a man in the crowd.
He was apparently distracted by the constant fidgeting of the man and in response, snapped at him saying:
“What happened to you? Any problem? I can break one of your legs and give you a crutch.”
He further asked the man to stand to the side and instructed his security personnel to break the man’s leg and hand him a crutch if he dared to move again. Immediately after he changed his tone, asking the audience to give the man a round of applause.
Watch the video here:
What happened to you? Any problem? I can break one of your legs: Union Minister Babul Supriyo to a man during a program for differently abled people at Nazrul Manch in Asansol #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/cFxpF7K6Pn
— ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2018
Supriyo’s actions have not been taken lightly by netizens who called it insensitive and uncalled for:
https://twitter.com/siddikaaayesha/status/1042252710760706048
Sheer arrogance @SuPriyoBabul https://t.co/jM45KR2Nsf
— Rajiv nagar (@RajuCritic) September 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/AbhiShuklaRocks/status/1042255482868555776
https://twitter.com/dostam_comrade/status/1042070601219760128
Who wants to bet there’ll soon come a statement explaining what he “actually meant”? It would take some serious creativity to explain this complete lack of empathy and the fact that he publically threatened to break someone’s leg. Maybe he meant “break a leg” in the context performers do. Though I doubt it.