A minister in Chhattisgarh, Lakshmi Rajwade, has been the subject of online criticism after photos emerged showing her planting rice seedlings while seated on a chair in a field. Rajwade, who holds the Women and Child Development portfolio in the Vishnu Deo Sai government, was photographed with other women, who were not using chairs, during the agricultural activity. The images quickly circulated on social media, prompting both jokes and condemnation.
The minister responded to the criticism, stating that she is familiar with farming practices, having engaged in agriculture for around 13 years after her marriage. She added that the opposition was making an unnecessary issue out of the situation. Rajwade is a BJP MLA from the Bhatgaon constituency and the youngest minister in the current government. She hails from Surajpur district and won the 2023 assembly election with a significant margin, defeating her Congress opponent by nearly 44,000 votes.