Has it become a fashion statement these days to be throwing shoes at politicians that you are not happy with? Just when one thought that the scandal involving the Iraqi throwing a shoe at President Bush during a press conference, now its the turn of India’s Chidambaram to be on the receiving end of a shoe. I vaguely remember that there was another incident where a shoe was hurled at a top politician, though I cant quite place the incident.
Anyway, today P Chidambaram, who is the Home Minister of India was addressing the press during a conference where he acquitted a Mr. Jagdish Tytler, of the same political party as his – Congress, of being involved in the 1984 Sikh Riots. Apparently the journo was peeved that the aforesaid politican was acquitted and that the Home Minister refused to take any further questions on the topic and threw his shoe in protest. It also seemed that the attack was pre meditated as the journalist had already removed his shoe and had kept it ready to be used as a missile whenever the situation so demanded.
I find this incidents funny at first, but most importantly it is a breach of security and a misconduct shown towards a government official. Plus someone could seriously get hurt. It might look funny on a gags channel, but a shoe flying at someones face is not something that can be laughed away, especially by the person on the receiving end.
PS: I happened to find a source for this (read the news article on the shoe thrown at Chidambaram) which also lists that 2 other shoe throwing incidents occurred after the Bush incident. Either shoe manufacturers are making cheap shoes meant to be thrown or there is a new cult forming. 
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Tagged: bush, politics, press conference, scandal, shoe, shoegate, throw