Realty firm’s sales pitch ‘only for Brahmins’ sparks outrage in Trichy

A realty company which sparked outrage with an advertisement for selling flats in its new apartment block in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy only to Brahmins, apologised on Tuesday saying the wording in the ad was unintentional.

The newspaper advertisement on Monday came under fire from the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF- associated with CPI - M), forcing the company to apologise.

Om Shakti Constructions, a Trichy-based real estate group, had recently built an apartment named ‘Sri Shakthi Renga’ in Trichy’s Sri Rangam area. To draw customers for the 13-house unit apartment, the firm gave a newspaper advertisement on Monday. The ad stated that the property is available only for Brahmins, prompting the TNUEF to lodge a complaint with the Trichy district collector S Sivarasu against the group.

“The advertisement was certainly hatred against Dalits and minorities. It is a new category of untouchability in this modern era,” TNUEF’s Trichy District Secretary, Mani said in his petition.

He also lodged a police complaint in Sri Rangam to book the realtor under SC/ST act.

Meanwhile, Om Shakthi Constructions have regretted its caste-based advertisement.

“We were thinking of mentioning “Only for Vegetarians”. However, the people who worked on the making of the advertisement put it as “Only for Brahmins,” said the firm’s general manager Anbu.

He also clarified his company is not against any caste group or religion.

“We have not done this with any intention. Our firm will sell properties to anyone interested,” he said.

Sri Rangam is home to the Sri Renganathar Temple and has a substantial Brahmin population.