TIRUCHY: Rejecting suggestions that his appointment as HR&CE Minister was based on caste, Minister S Ramesh, hailing from the Brahmin community, on Saturday asserted that the TVK government under Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay was firmly committed to secularism and social justice, and that ministerial berths were allotted solely on the basis of commitment to public service.

Speaking to reporters in Tiruchy, Ramesh said TVK had adopted Periyar as its ideological leader and followed the principles of Dr BR Ambedkar in opposing caste discrimination. “We have been made ministers after our dedication to social service was recognised. There is no caste, religious or gender discrimination in the party. Our president is very particular about these principles,” he said.

Claiming that the people had voted for TVK because they viewed Vijay as “one among their family”, the minister said the mandate was for the party’s ideology and leadership rather than individual candidates.

On the functioning of the HR&CE Department, Ramesh said officials had been instructed to ensure that devotees visiting temples returned home satisfied and without inconvenience. Steps would be taken to avoid unnecessary long queues for darshan, he added.

The minister also assured that encroached temple lands would be retrieved and utilised for public purposes. He further said the department would ensure a corruption-free administration and adopt “micro-management” in temple functioning to prevent bribery at all levels.