Actress Namitha asked to furnish proof of being Hindu at Meenakshi Amman temple
The actor, who is a BJP state executive member, alleged that a temple official prevented her from having darshan and demanded proof of being a Hindu.
"They asked for a certificate to prove that I am a Hindu and also my caste certificate. I never underwent such an ordeal in any temple that I visited in the country," she told reporters later.
Namitha said it was a known fact that she was born a Hindu and that her marriage was solemnised in Tirupati and her son was named after Lord Krishna. "This being the case they spoke rudely and arrogantly and demanded a certificate to prove my caste and my faith," she said.
A senior official at the temple denied the allegations and said they stopped Namitha and her husband who were wearing masks to enquire if they were Hindus and explained the tradition at the temple.
"After the clarification from them, she was anointed with kumkum on her forehead and taken inside the temple for a darshan of Goddess Meenakshi," he said.
When asked about this, the actress replied that she was allowed for darshan only after clarification of her faith and applying kumkum on her forehead.
She said her visit to Madurai was spiritual and she had come to celebrate Krishna Janmashtami at ISKCON.
"There's a way of asking. I was made to wait for 20 minutes in a corner. We had informed the police about our visit on Sunday," she said.
The actress said she wore a mask as she did not want to disturb devotees who might recognise her.
Earlier in the day, she put out a video message to Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P K Sekar Babu on her predicament and requested him to take action on the "rude" temple official.
Actress #Namitha alleged Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple official restricted her entry into the temple for darshan & asked her to furnish proof of being a Hindu.
— S Mannar Mannan (@mannar_mannan) August 26, 2024
She was asked to put Kungumam in her forehead before allowing her to dharshan the deity.@xpresstn @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/dKY1CSu8G0
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Double-decker electric bus gutted in fire at Kurla BEST depot
Mumbai (PTI): An empty double-decker electric bus was gutted in a fire during servicing at a BEST depot in Mumbai's Kurla area on Sunday, officials said, adding that nobody was injured.
The blaze broke out inside the Kurla BEST bus depot near Kanakia Building at 4.14 pm, according to preliminary information from the Mumbai Fire Brigade.
The parked bus was unoccupied at the time of the incident.
Fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. The exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, they said.
No injuries were reported in the incident, officials added.
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has hired 50 electric double-decker buses from Switch Mobility in its fleet of around 2,700 buses.
