PMO cut us from list, wasn't allowed to enter temple with PM Modi: Tharoor

New Delhi: The Prime Minister’s Office had allegedly cancelled names of Kerala local leaders from the list of people allowed inside Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple during PM Modi’s visit.

This incident came to light after the Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took to Twitter and accused the PMO of not letting him enter the temple on Tuesday.

"Received Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram for the unveiling of a plaque of the Swadesh Darshan project. But when the local MP, MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) and mayor were to enter the temple with him for darshan, we learned that the PMO had cut us from the list," he tweeted.

Before entering the temple, PM Modi unveiled a plaque to mark the launch of visitor facilities there. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Tourism Minister Alphons Kannanthanam and Tharoor were present at the function.

Modi, who was accompanied by Governor Justice P Sathasivam entered sprawling shrine through the eastern entrance and spent about 20 minutes there.

Attacking the PM Modi over alleged ignorance of local leaders, Tharoor said, "It seems that under the BJP even God must serve a political purpose and members of other parties must not be allowed to worship in the prime ministerial presence."

The Thiruvananthapuram MP has been a critic of Modi with his statements often courting controversy.