A controversy erupted on Sunday when a video showing a senior official from Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), removing the shoes and adjusting the pyjama strings of Union Minister of State for Coal, Satish Chandra Dubey, went viral. The incident reportedly took place during the minister’s visit to the Munidih underground mines in Jharkhand and has sparked widespread backlash on social media.
The video, which began circulating on Monday, shows BCCL General Manager (GM) Arindam Mustafi allegedly assisting Minister Dubey by removing his shoes and handing them to another individual. In another moment from the clip, the official appears to tie the minister’s pyjama string, causing further outrage online.
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धनबाद में कोयला राज्यमंत्री सतीश चंद्र दुबे के पैर से जूता BCCL के GM ने उतारा,पैजामे का नाड़ा भी बांधा
सोशल मीडिया पर वीडियो हो रहा है वायरल@satishdubeyy @JmmJharkhand @BJP4Bihar @INCBihar @INCJharkhand @KumarJaimangal #Jharkhand #dhanbad pic.twitter.com/6cjopvIazV
— Live Dainik (@Live_Dainik) September 9, 2024
In response to the viral video, BCCL issued a statement refuting the claims. The company described the footage as “false and misleading,” explaining that the official was helping the minister adjust a belt that supports the battery for the headlamp used during the mine visit.
“A claim circulating on social media suggesting that a BCCL official adjusted the minister’s pyjamas is entirely false and misleading,” a BCCL spokesperson clarified. The official further explained that after the minister had finished his inspection of the underground mine, his boots were removed using a mechanical instrument, following standard protocol, and not manually by the BCCL staff.
The controversy prompted sharp criticism from opposition leaders. Santosh Singh, the Dhanbad District President of the Congress party, condemned the incident, calling for an apology from Minister Dubey.
“If a GM-ranked official is removing the minister’s shoes, it’s a matter of deep shame,” Singh remarked. He sarcastically added that the minister should promote the official to the rank of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) “as a reward for sycophancy.” Singh also criticized Dubey’s previous statements about unpaid electricity bills in the state and accused the central government of failing to pay mining royalties to Jharkhand.
The incident overshadowed Minister Dubey’s inspection of several key coal project sites, including subsidence-prone areas near Sendra-Bansjora, a fire-affected section of the Ena colliery, and the Munidih underground mine. During his visit, the minister also inaugurated a mini science laboratory at a government high school in Rajganj, a project funded under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of Coal India Limited.
Despite BCCL’s clarification, the controversy surrounding the viral video continues to stir debate, with many questioning the optics of the incident and the minister’s handling of the situation.
