TIRUNELVELI: At least five children from the Narikuravar community were allegedly not allowed to partake in the free meal organised inside the Nellaiappar Temple to mark former chief minister CN Annadurai’s death anniversary on Tuesday. A video clip showing one of the children telling an activist that they were threatened went viral on social media.
According to sources, a man, suspected to be a Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment department staff, allegedly threatened to beat a group of children if they entered the temple to have the food. At the time of the incident, Assembly Speaker M Appavu, Tirunelveli Mayor G Ramakrishnan and officials of the HR & CE department were partaking in the meal.
After the children narrated the incident to the activist, he took them to a hotel nearby and bought them food.
Joint Director of HR and CE department Kavitha told media persons that she would hold an inquiry into who had denied entry to the children.