Was asked to specify caste when I visited a temple in Gujarat: Kumari Selja

New Delhi: Congress leader Kumari Selja on Monday created a stir in the Rajya Sabha by claiming that she was asked about her caste when she had visited Dwarka temple in Gujarat as a cabinet minister, leading to arguments between the ruling and opposition sides.

“I am dalit, but I am Hindu. I feel like visiting temples. I wanted to go to Dwarka temple. I have visited hundreds of temple. (I visited) Dwarka temple, I was cabinet minister. I was asked about my caste,” she said while participating in debate on ‘Commitment to the Constitution’.

Some members of the Treasury benches objected to the allegation of Selja who was supported by several Congress members who were on their feet. To this, telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said he too has visited the temple but was not asked about his caste.

Pramod Tiwari (Congress) said there was no reason why one should not believe what Selja was saying. As tempers ran high, deputy chairman P.J. Kurien tried to pacify the members of both the two sides. With BJP members contesting her allegation, Selja said the members of the ruling party have “raised a question on my integrity”.

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