Actor and BJP Tamil Nadu executive member Namitha alleged that during her visit Madurai's Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwar Temple with her husband, an official prevented her from having darshan and demanded proof of being a Hindu. The popular star expressed her grief and disappointment over the "rude" manners of the temple officials. The 'Billa' actor on Monday morning 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 against the "rude" temple official.
"For the very first time, I felt alienated in my own country and in my own place that I needed to prove myself as a Hindu! It’s not about that I was asked about it, but instead HOW I was asked about it. Very Rude and Arrogant officer and his One Assistant too," Namitha jotted on social media.
According to Namitha, officials at the Madurai temple demanded her to produce a caste certificate to prove her Hindu identity ahead of entering the temple. No other temple across India has ever treated her this way, Namitha lamented. The actress reportedly added that she was allowed for darshan only after clarification about her religion and applying kumkum on her forehead.
"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 was quoted as telling media by news agency PTI.
According to Namitha, thanks to her profession, the news of her marriage in Tirupati was widely reported. When her twins (Krishna Adhithya and Kian Raaj) were born in 2022, it was again reported that her son was named after Hindu deity Krishna. "This being the case they spoke rudely and arrogantly and demanded a certificate to prove my caste and my faith," she said.
Meanwhile, Meenakshi Sundareshwar Temple authorities told PTI that the confusion was caused because Namitha donned a mask while visiting the shrine. Thus the couple was halted and asked about the religion and explained about the temple traditions. Once the duo explained themselves, they were let in to for darshan, a senior offical told the news agency.
Namitha admitted to having worn a mask while visiting the iconic temple to hide her identity -- a precautionary step often taken by the cine stars. While visiting public places, actors also inform local police stations in advance. "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.
