A tweet from Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs, has caused an outrage on Twitter after fans spotted him in the Indian dressing room, touching player equipment with no mask on.

On the eve of the first ever Test match at the new Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Indian cricket board secretary Jay Shah had given a guided tour of the new stadium and its facilities to Rijiju. One of the pictures in the minister’s tweet shows him and Shah breaching the bio-bubble to enter the Indian players’ dressing room and on top of that checking players’ equipment without wearing a mask.

A proud moment! Hon’ble President Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji will inaugurate the largest Cricket Stadium in the world at Ahmedabad tomorrow. A vision set by PM @narendramodi Ji & executed by HM @AmitShah Ji is here. Sh @JayShah Secy BCCI briefed me about the world class facilities! pic.twitter.com/v2YdjsyU5j

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 23, 2021

‘‘A proud moment! Hon’ble President Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji will inaugurate the largest Cricket Stadium in the world at Ahmedabad tomorrow. A vision set by PM @narendramodi Ji & executed by HM @AmitShah Ji is here. @JayShah Secy BCCI briefed me about the world class facilities!,’’ the minister’s tweet read.

Social media broke loose after the tweet, questioning whether the bio-bubble had been broken. The facilities inside the stadium are part of the bubble, with the dressing room restricted to players, support staff and match officials.

We are still in a pandemic and the union minister of sports just casually enters Indian player’s dressing room and checks on their gear. https://t.co/Av0XU0cge5

— Praveen C (@whatupbiyaatch) February 24, 2021

Why they are entering Players Dressing Room?? Players Go through Quarantine Process!!! And then what’s the use of it?? https://t.co/QPxbS396xA

— SIDDHESH JADHAV®🇮🇳 (@SID4510) February 23, 2021

Non sense…visiting a team who are in a bio bubble and even touching their kit….🤦‍♂️ https://t.co/4hqlfU1xFB

— Gokul Guru (@gokulncg) February 23, 2021

Not sure how safe is people inside dressing room during COVID times. https://t.co/npMKCbN5r5

— Saurabh Saxena (@ssaurabhhh) February 23, 2021

@ICC @BCCI-players and officials remain in intense quarantine to create a bio bubble. Was @KirenRijiju @JayShah kept in quarantine as well before being allowed to enter Indian dressing room?Need to know how does it work. Can someone throw light on this plz @bhogleharsha

— Vishwa Deepak (@VishwaDeepak304) February 23, 2021

BCCI’s video of the Home Minister greeting players without a mask on the day of the match had also created an outrage on social media.

These cricketers are in a bio bubble. Why hasn’t anyone got the Hon. Home Minister to wear a mask while interacting with them? How has @ECB_cricket not taken this up with the BCCI/ICC? https://t.co/IiDxIGGuwb

— zaayed (@zaayedf) February 25, 2021

Shouldn’t our honorable Home Minister and his great son wear masks?
He is putting our players at risk😡
Is there any thing like bio bubble or not?? https://t.co/tPEtKSf3lr

— Shubham Shelke (@DrShubhamshelke) February 25, 2021