Indian minister resigns over burial ritual

A minister in India's Tamil Nadu state has resigned after attending a ritual in which more than 100 children were taken to a temple and buried briefly in a mud pit.

The National Human Rights Commission condemned the ritual, and demanded an explanation from the Housing Minister, Durairaj.

Children in the village near the city of Madurai, were wrapped in cloth soaked in turmeric, and buried for about a minute before being uncovered.

The minister said he had gone to the event at the invitation of the villagers.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service