Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister Chaudhary Laxmi Narayan Singh on Friday courted controversy after he got his shoelaces tied by a government worker during an International Yoga Day event. However, the minister defended his conduct, claiming that the gesture of someone helping him wear his shoes should be appreciated.

“If any brother, nephew or any person in the family ties my shoelace, then it an example of the same country where Bharat ruled Lord Ram’s kingdom for 14 years with the kharau [wooden slippers] of the latter on the throne,” Nayaran told ANI. “This [the gesture by the worker] should be appreciated.”

However, Twitter users were not amused by the minister’s conduct. Many users expressed disgust, while some cracked jokes at the minister’s expense. Some users asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take action against Narayan.