Datia (MP), Aug 5 (IANS): Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Dr Narottam Mishra was airlifted when he got stranded in his home district Datia, where he had gone to take stock of the flood situation. He was rescued by an Air Force helicopter.

Like other parts of the state, several villages in Datia are marooned in water due to heavy rain and floods.

On getting information about floods in the rural areas and some people stranded on a rooftop, Mishra left for a village called Kotra when a tree fell on his boat and it stopped moving. As a result Mishra was himself stranded in the water.

At least nine people were stuck on the rooftop of a house in Kotra village.

Mishra sent a SOS to government officials for help. An IAF helicopter was then despatched to the spot to rescue the minister and nine other stranded villagers.

A video of the rescue has now gone viral on social media in which Mishra is seen instructing the officials to rescue the villagers first. The video is receiving a lot of reaction by users.

Congress state president Kamal Nath's media coordinator Narendra Saluja has praised the minister and said, "If it is the opposition's duty to blame government's mistakes, then they should also be praised for good work. Salute to the spirit and courage of Home Minister Narottam Mishra."

Samajwadi Party leader Yash Bharti however took a jibe and said, "The Home Minister was visiting the flood-affected areas. He reached the Panchayat Bhawan to help people, but himself needed rescue. See how beautifully the video has been made, like Shah Rukh Khan saving Preity Zinta in the film Veer Zara. The story looks filmy."