Remember how much controversy the abject surrender and touching feet of the Telangana chief minister by some IAS officers created? The two IAS officers were slammed for the inappropriate behavior and had to do a lot of explaining. But, touching of feet, definitely not by IAS officers, but by some politicians has begun in Andhra Pradesh.

This is a culture limited only to the Tamil Nadu, where AIADMK leaders vied with one another in prostrating before Amma Jayalalithaa. Now it seems to be extending to AP also. What is sad is that a politician of the rank of deputy CM has touched the feet of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is much junior to him both in politics as well as age.

One of the five deputy CMs in AP, Kalattur Narayana Swamy, who belongs to the scheduled castes, tried to touch the feel of YS Jagan Mohan the other day. Swamy, who is from Gangadhara Nelluru constituency, tried to touch the feet, but Jagan not just moved away from him but also chided him for doing so. Sources say Swamy was worried whether he would be continued as the deputy chief minister after the completion of the two-and-a-half year period.

Chief Minister YS Jagan is trying to evaluate the performance of all his MLAs and ministers these days. Also, there is a possibility of a cabinet reshuffle where he would drop some ministers and take in some new persons into the government. Apprehensive perhaps of being continued as the deputy CM, Narayana Swamy of late has been trumpeting how loyal and honest he is and as to what he has done in these two years. Perhaps this insecurity may have made him to try to touch Jagan’s feet.

One only hopes the Tamil Nadu’s infamous tradition of prostrating before the leader does not become a habit in AP.