The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Monday strongly criticised K. Chandrasekhara Rao for conducting a religious ceremony while taking charge as minister of labour and employment Sunday.
In a statement Monday, the CPI-M politburo, expressing strong disapproval of Rao, said performing religious rituals in a government office was a violation of the constitution.
"Rao performed a public religious ceremony in a government office. Each individual is entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely practise and propagate religion. But to convert a government office into a place of public religious ceremony is violative of the secular principle."
Rao, who heads the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, a constituent of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), was given charge of the labour and employment portfolio Saturday.
Rao had been a minister without portfolio since May when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took office at the helm of the Left-backed UPA government.
--Indo-Asian News Service