Slipper ad puts Didi in trouble

The railway minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, appears to have landed in major trouble over an advertisement in which she is shown modelling for a particular brand of rubber slippers (hawai chappals).

A full-page advertisement in a Bengali daily on Monday showed Ms Banerjee walking in her now-famous rubber slippers. The name of the brand — Ajanta Hawai — is mentioned clearly along with the one-line caption in Bengali: “drirpta padakshwep (firm and bright footsteps).”

The Left parties have sought a clarification from the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on the matter and are also looking into moving the Election Commission to examine if a breach of the law has taken place.

Sensing trouble, Ms Banerjee has directed her ministry to investigate how the advertisement appeared, and her close associates claimed that “Didi had no knowledge” of it. The railway ministry has ordered an inquiry, which will be conducted by the Railway Board member-secretary, Mr Shivaji Rakshit.

An FIR has also been lodged at the Parliament Street police station here against the footwear company for having used the minister’s picture without her prior consent. The PMO has sought further information from the ministry.