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A video of a senior health official in Telangana touching the feet of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao went viral on Wednesday, November 16, prompting the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress to find fault with the tendency of some officials to do such acts in the state. Television channels showed a video in which state director of public health G Srinivas Rao is seen touching the feet of the Chief Minister at an event on Tuesday.
The top official of the Health Department was seen touching the Chief Minister's feet not once but twice during an event at the latter's official residence on Tuesday. The occasion was the launch of eight new government medical colleges by the Chief Minister. Srinivasa Rao was seen first presenting a bouquet to the Chief Minister to greet him as soon as the latter entered the hall where the event was organised. The official then took out a paper from his trouser pocket and handed it to the CM, who kept the same in his shirt pocket. He then bent to touch KCR's feet.
Former BJP Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) N Ramachander Rao said that the "tendency" of some officials in Telangana touching the feet of the CM "when they are in service" is not in good taste. Retired officials joining politics is understandable, he said.
Talking about the health official's action, the BJP leader said a senior official had done the same earlier. This senior official was subsequently ‘awarded’ with an MLC post, Ramachander Rao said. "I can understand if a person is retired and then entering politics. But, in service, falling on the feet of the Chief Minister is something very disgusting," he said.
Meanwhile, some Congress leaders tried to present a "pink shirt" to the health official as a protest, a party release said. The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi’s (TRS) party flag is pink.
The health official was not immediately available for comments. In June last year, then District Collector of Siddipet, P Venkatramana Reddy had sparked a row by touching the feet of the Chief Minister during inauguration of a new building of the Collector's office. Five months later, he took voluntary retirement to join politics and KCR made him a member of the Telangana Legislative Council.
