Bihar MP’s piggyback ride in flood-hit segment sparks row

A video of Congress MP Tariq Anwar being carried on the back of a villager during a flood inspection in Bihar’s Katihar has triggered a political row. The BJP accused him of “insensitivity”, while the Congress defended the act, citing his ill health.

The incident occurred during Anwar’s two-day tour of his parliamentary constituency, where he was inspecting the damage caused by floods and meeting affected families. While he used a tractor, boat and even a motorbike to travel across waterlogged areas, a video surfaced showing villagers carrying him on their backs through a flooded stretch.

The footage, now widely shared, shows Anwar perched on a villager’s back as others walk alongside, steadying him to prevent a fall. A police officer is also seen helping them during the passage.

The BJP was quick to seize on the video. Sharing the video on X, the Bihar unit of the party wrote in Hindi, “A Congress MP who conducted an aerial survey of floods on the back of the poor has shamed humanity. Such behaviour cannot be tolerated, this time the people of Bihar will give a fitting reply.”

Saffron party’s spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla questioned the party, saying whether Congress leaders insisted on “VVIP treatment even in flood-hit areas”.

“This is the sense of entitlement in the Congress. Even in flood-affected areas, they want VVIP protocol? Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge insults farmers, while party MP Tariq Anwar mocks flood relief, sits on shoulders of people while “touring” flood-affected areas. The Congress MP is in VVIP mode, Rahul Gandhi is in vacation mode, AAP is in hiding mode, and only PM Modi is in work mode,” he wrote on X.

The Congress, however, defended its MP. Katihar district Congress president Sunil Yadav said the villagers themselves offered to carry Anwar after he suddenly felt dizzy in the heat. “We had already travelled by tractor, boat and bike. At one point, our vehicle got stuck in mud and we had to walk nearly two kilometres. It was extremely hot and Anwar was feeling weak. As soon as he mentioned it, the villagers lifted him out of affection,” Yadav told reporters.

Anwar himself posted images and videos of the visit on X, where he reiterated his support for flood victims and urged the government to release immediate relief.

In the posts, he is also seen walking with aides shielding him under umbrellas and at another point sitting on a tractor surrounded by locals.