Indian minister is latest shoe attack victim

Posted By Joshua Keating Tuesday, April 7, 2009 - 12:43 PM Share

India's home minister, P Chidambaram, has joined George W. Bush, Wen Jiabao, and possibly Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the dubious honor of having a shoe thrown at him in public.

The journalist who threw the shoe at Chidambaram at a press conference was angry that the minister was evading his quesitons about the recent acquittal of a politician who is accused of leading anti-Sikh riots in 1984.

While the shoe-throw seems to be catching on as a form of public protest, it's worth noting that no one has actually been hit yet. Iraqi journalist Munthader al-Zaidi, the originator of this practice, probably got closest. It seems that hitting a politician with a shoe may be harder than it looks, and will only get harder now that they're coming to expect it. 

EXPLORE:INDIA
 

NAYAGAN

1:14 PM ET

April 7, 2009

Religion Correction

Mr. Keating,

one correction--the journalist's complaint concerned a Christian politician, Jagdish Tytler, not a Hindu politician.

 

JOSHUA KEATING

1:46 PM ET

April 7, 2009

Thanks for the correction

Thanks for the correction
 

RAINMIST887

8:24 PM ET

April 7, 2009

Tytler is christian? Damn!

Tytler is christian? Damn! What do Christians got against Sikhism? I thought only Hindus hated us.

 

Passport, FP’s flagship blog, brings you news and hidden angles on the biggest stories of the day, as well as insights and under-the-radar gems from around the world.

Read More