Chennai, Aug 17 (IANS): A controversy has erupted in Tamil Nadu after reports of a government school headmistress allegedly refusing to hoist the national flag and salute it on Independence Day.

The woman named Tamil Selvi, a government school Headmistress in Dharmapuri district, did not hoist the national flag stating that she was a Christian and that her religious beliefs do not allow her to hoist and salute the national flag.

In a video recording justifying her act, she said that being a Yahova Christian, her religious belief allows her to salute only God.

She, however, added that she does not disrespect the flag and said that she had arranged for the Assistant Headmistress to hoist the flag.

A complaint was filed against Selvi by the parents of the children studying in the school with the District Education Officer. She was alleged to have shown her bias towards one religion while working in a government school.

The headmistress did not attend the flag hoisting ceremony last year also and had taken sick leave.