Congress Leader Karti Chidambaram Reacts to Video of Foreigner Being Barred from Temple (Photo screengrab @harpreet4567)
Reacting to a video on social media showing a foreigner wearing a saree and expressing her desire to enter a temple in Kerala, Congress leader Karti Chidambaram today asked, “Why should anyone be barred from a place of worship they want to visit?”
The video of the foreign girl, who is engaged with an Indian, is doing the rounds on social media. The video showed a girls lamenting over the denial of entry to the Thiruvananthapuram’s Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, saying that she was told only Indians were allowed. Though she said that she was going to be Indian soon after her marriage, she was again denied entry, citing restrictions for the foreigners.
Why should anyone be barred from a place worship they want to visit? https://t.co/Y6LrCCJUwV
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) July 16, 2024
Read Also: UK Professor Nitasha Kaul Denied Entry To India; Here’s Why
When she requested again at another gate of the temple, the people concerned told the couple that only Hindus were allowed inside. Though she asserted that she was a Hindu, she was told to present a certificate to back her claim. The woman is then heard asking in the video, “who is carrying with them all these certificates on their travels.” She then says she was disappointed over the temple’s authorities’ approach towards her.
The Indian husband who stands next to her was also heard saying that he has read the Indian constitution, and it mentions that no discrimination on the account of caste, nationality, colour, religion, etc. allowed. He also pointed out that Indians talk about the racism they face abroad while treating the foreigner like this, noting that this too is racism. “This is not fair,” the couple was heard saying.
Read Also: Rahul Gandhi Denied Entry Into Assam Shrine
However, netizens are divided in their take on the temple authorities’ behavior towards the foreign woman. While many expressed sympathy for the girl, several pointed out that the temple committee was right because it is not a tourist place people want to visit but a place they go to worship.
Many other users emphasised that these were the rules that needed to be followed concerning the places.
