'Guest is god' to 'CM lost his mind': Political storm over foot-washing of Miss World contestants in Telangana

A video showing local women of the Mulugu district in Telangana washing the feet of Miss World contestants during a visit to the historic Ramappa Temple has triggered widespread controversy.

The video, which has now gone viral on social media, shows several contestants seated in a row while women pour water on their feet and dry them with towels.

The event took place as part of a cultural tour for the Miss World participants, who are in Telangana ahead of the pageant finale in Hyderabad on May 31. The Telangana government defended the act, saying it was a gesture rooted in Indian tradition. Citing the principle of Atithi Devo Bhava, which means “the guest is God”, officials said the ritual was intended to honour the international guests in line with local customs, news agency PTI reported.

In a shocking display of servility, the Telangana Congress government made local women wash and wipe the feet of Miss World contestants, a humiliating act that reeks of colonial-era mindset. Further, this was done within the sanctity of the Ramappa Temple and in an area in close pic.twitter.com/ha0xRrTCYr G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) May 15, 2025

However, opposition leaders strongly criticised the event, calling it degrading and disrespectful, particularly to the women involved — many of whom, they claimed, belonged to Dalit, tribal and economically weaker backgrounds. “The Congress CM has officially lost his mind,” said K T Rama Rao, working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), who reposted the video on X.

Union Minister and Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy also condemned the incident, accusing Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of humiliating Indian women in an attempt to gain favour with the Congress leadership.

“In a shocking display of servility, the Telangana Congress government made local women wash and wipe the feet of Miss World contestants, a humiliating act that reeks of colonial-era mindset. Further, this was done within the sanctity of the Ramappa Temple and in an area in close proximity to the place where the divine Goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma are revered. Congress party’s century-old legacy of making Indians kneel before foreigners to appease their high command is evident,” Reddy wrote in a post on X.

BRS MLA and former minister Sabitha Indra Reddy said the act was an insult to Telangana’s rich legacy of strong women like Rudramadevi, Sammakka, and Saralakka. “This has brought shame not only to Telangana but to Indian women on a global stage,” she said.

Over 100 Miss World contestants are currently visiting major tourist sites in the state as part of a government initiative to promote Telangana’s culture and heritage. The Ramappa Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was one such stop.

Women’s rights groups, including the Dignity Foundation, have also expressed concern and demanded clarification on whether the ritual was planned or done voluntarily by the local women.