MADURAI: A day after a disabled woman said she was made to remove her callipers and asked to pay a bribe of Rs 500 to use a wheelchair and enter the Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple, the 48-year-old and other disabled persons were allowed into the temple on Thursday without having to remove their mobility aids restrictions.
Sources said SSI KB Santhanapandian, who allegedly made the woman, G Tamilselvi, remove her callipers to enter the temple, was transferred to the Vilakuthoon police station.
Earlier, the Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently-Abled and Caregivers staged a protest against the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department, condemning the temple’s handling of the matter and demanding action against the priests and employees of the temple for allegedly insulting Tamilselvi.
“Eventually we were able to meet with the officials at the temple. They assured action against the staff and priests involved and allowed us to enter the temple and go to the sanctum sanctorum without removing our mobility aids. After this we temporarily called off our protest,” Tamilselvi, who hails from Dharmapuri, said.
Sources from the temple administration said they assured the protesters that such mistreatment will not recur.