Congress Leader Karti Chidambaram Reacts to Video of Foreigner Being Barred from Temple (Photo screengrab @harpreet4567)
Congress leader Karti Chidambaram today reacted to a video showing a foreign woman being denied entry into Kerala’s Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. The video that went viral on social media shows the woman, dressed in a saree, expressing her desire to enter the temple.
Questioning the temple officials’ behaviour towards the woman, the Congress leader asked, “Why should anyone be barred from a place of worship they want to visit?”
The woman, in the video, is heard lamenting that she was denied entry because she is a foreigner, though her engagement with an Indian has already done, indicating that she would become an Indian citizen soon. Karti Chidambaram questioned.
Why should anyone be barred from a place worship they want to visit? https://t.co/Y6LrCCJUwV
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) July 16, 2024
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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.
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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.
