CHENNAI: CPI state secretary R Mutharasan has strongly condemned the reported act of discrimination against Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai during the kumbabishekam held at the Vallakottai Murugan Temple near Sriperumbudur on Sunday.

In a statement, he alleged that officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department deliberately denied Selvaperunthagai access to the sanctified inner premises of the temple, citing Agama rules.

Selvaperunthagai, who is also the MLA from Sriperumbudur (SC) constituency, had visited the temple in his official capacity to participate in the kumbabishekam event. However, he was reportedly stopped from proceeding to the temple's vimana platform, where the main rituals were being held. In contrast, BJP leader and former Governor of Telangana, Tamilisai Soundararajan, was given a grand welcome, seated prominently near the vimana, and accorded full honours by HR&CE officials, the statement noted.

"The discriminatory behaviour of the department officials towards a sitting legislator and the State president of a national political party is unacceptable and amounts to deliberate social exclusion," Mutharasan said. "While the BJP leader was treated with reverence, Selvaperunthagai was ignored and sidelined, even during the ceremonial hoisting of the temple flag, a key ritual during the kumbabishekam," he added.

The Left leader said such acts went against the principles of social justice and equality before God, values upheld by the State government. "The HR&CE officials have acted in a manner that undermines the government's commitment to social justice. We condemn this act of blatant discrimination in the strongest terms," he said, demanding that the State government identify the officials responsible for this incident and take stringent action against them.