Sekar babu breaks caste taboo in temple feast

It all started when staff at Sthalasaina Temple in Mamallapuram allegedly instructed a narikurava woman seated along with the rest for anna dhanam (free meal at temple) to leave and later collect left over food. 

Coincidentally, minister Sekar Babu was there just about the same time to inspect the temple. As the rightfully angry woman questioned authorities for asking her to not participate in a state government sponsored feast, news of it reached the minister there. 

Subsequently, the minister insisted that the narikurava tribe should participate in it. The rest was history. Minister Babu made sure that the woman sat next to him during the anna dhanam. It didn’t take long for the netizens to celebrate the minister’s gesture. By late Friday, photograph of the minister and the narikurava woman sitting next to each other during  lunch in the temple premises went viral.  Sekar babu who posted a picture of the same on his Twitter handle said, “Temple anna dhanams are meant for all. Today, we had lunch along with the people.”  Social justice lovers went gaga over the event with many lauding the minister on social media for demonstrating his party’s principle. 

The woman who became the centre of media attraction later told a YouTube channel, “I was asked to leave and collect left over food only because I was an illiterate. Right! I asked officials if the anna dhanam was their family wedding? I questioned them for chasing me away from a government function. I am happy the minister ensured our participation.”