In an incident that has invited criticism from all political parties, women were stopped from occupying the first three rows of chairs in a felicitation ceremony for Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday.

Fadnavis was being felicitated by the Shree Santacruz Jain Tapagaccha Sangh for his government’s decision to ban the slaughter of cows and calves at the Swaminarayan Temple.

The episode came to light after a female reporter Rashmi Puranik of Marathi television channel ABP Mazha was asked to move to the fourth row, saying the first three were reserved for men.

Meanwhile, representatives from the Sangh told the media that in their sect, where monks follow a strict practice of celibacy, women are not allowed not sit near them.

Despite intervention by the Bharatiya Janata Paty’s (BJP’s) Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar, who requested the organisers to allow the reporter to sit, all female reporters were asked to sit beyond the fourth row.

Fadnavis, who was informed about the incident, criticised the attitude of the community in his speech.