Tension prevailed in Valliyur on Monday morning after a government bus conductor allegedly made religiously biased remarks toward a Hindu temple priest traveling with his family, prompting locals to stage a protest.
According to reports, a government bus (registration TN-74 N-2120) operating from Vivekanandapuram Depot in Kanyakumari district picked up passengers near Naalumavadi Christian Church in Thoothukudi district around 4:50 AM. The bus later reached Tirunelveli’s new bus stand and departed toward Nagercoil at around 5:00 AM.
Among the passengers was Subramanian, a temple priest from Valliyur, who was traveling with his wife and two sons. Witnesses said Subramanian, dressed in traditional attire – without a shirt but wore a Rudraksha mala, was told by the conductor, identified as Antony, who told them that the bus would not enter Valliyur and would stop only at the bypass.
When Subramanian protested, saying the bus regularly entered Valliyur, the conductor allegedly replied that “most passengers were Christians from Naalumavadi” and that the bus would not go through Valliyur “just for him.”
The exchange led to tension among passengers. The priest refused to alight, following which the bus eventually entered Valliyur. On arrival, Subramanian and his family staged a sit-in protest in front of the bus. Residents gathered at the scene and joined the protest.
Police from Valliyur station reached the spot and held talks with the protesters. After about an hour, the bus continued its journey to Nagercoil.
Speaking to local reporters, Subramanian alleged that several passengers sided with the conductor on religious basis and that such incidents had occurred earlier as well.
Subramanian stated, “Most passengers in the bus supported the conductor, behaving in a religiously discriminatory way. The bus was not hired solely for the Christians from Naalumavadi. All of us had bought tickets. The conductor also spoke offensively. I recorded this on video.”
He said a similar issue took place on 31 August 2025, when the same bus skipped Valliyur, leading to the suspension of its driver and conductor at the time.
The incident took place in Radhapuram Assembly constituency, represented by Speaker M Appavu. Local residents claimed that government buses frequently skip Valliyur despite regulations requiring all Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) buses, except “one-to-one” express services, to pass through the town.
Residents have urged strict disciplinary action against conductor Antony , accusing him of religious bias and misconduct. Officials from the Nagercoil Transport Department said a departmental inquiry has been ordered and appropriate action will be taken based on the findings.
(Source: Dinamalar)
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.