Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has made headlines yet again his undying hero-worship of Jayalalithaa. In a video, OPS, as he is called, can be seen bending down and touching the ground to take Jayalalithaa's blessings, not once but twice.
Leaders prostrating or taking Amma's blessings is nothing new in Tamil Nadu, but what is strange is that the AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa is seated in a car, and the leaders are seen touching the ground standing beside the car.
According to the video that went viral, the incident happened in Chennai's Thiruvottiyur last week.
However, this is not the first time that Panneerselvam have gone overboard expressing their support for Jayalalithaa. Back in 2012, he was seen bowing down on the floor at her feet before presenting the budget in the house. His speech too began with hefty praises for ‘amma’, hailing her victory in the bypolls at the time, which garnered him much criticism from opposing party leaders.
In 2014 as well, when Jayalalithaa was imprisoned in relation to the disproportionate assets case, Panneerselvam wept throughout his swearing-in ceremony as the chief minister – and he was not the only one.
AIADMK sympathizers have often made news for resorting to outright sycophancy to show their ‘devotion; towards Jayalalithaa. Previously, the AIADMK even claimed that 193 people committed suicide when Jayalalithaa was convicted in the corruption case.