BJP leader and actress Namitha asked to prove Hindu identity at temple

On Monday, actress Namitha reported that she was asked to provide proof of her Hindu identity during her visit to the famous Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwar temple. She expressed her frustration over what she described as the rude behavior of the temple officials.
Namitha, who is also a BJP state executive member, claimed that a temple official barred her from performing darshan and demanded proof of her Hindu faith and caste. “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.
She pointed out that her Hindu identity is well-known, noting that she was married in Tirupati and named her son after Lord Krishna. “This being the case, they spoke rudely and arrogantly and demanded a certificate to prove my caste and my faith,” Namitha said.
A senior temple official, however, denied these claims. The official explained that they had stopped Namitha and her husband, who were wearing masks, to verify their Hindu identity and to explain the temple’s traditions.
“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 stated.
Namitha confirmed that she was only allowed darshan after clarifying her faith and receiving kumkum on her forehead. She added that her visit to Madurai was intended to be spiritual, as she was in town 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, explaining that she wore a mask to avoid disturbing other devotees at the Meenaskhi temple in Madurai.
Namitha also released a video message directed at Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P K Sekar Babu, requesting action against the “rude” temple official.