A 56-year-old elephant that was brought to Kamarajar Arangam in Teyanampet to reportedly garland Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar, was rescued by officials on Saturday after it was allegedly being starved.

Suma, the elephant was rescued by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), before Javadekar's arrival.

Speaking to the Times of India, SPCA secretary T Thyagarajan said that the organizers mentioned 'Ganesh Puja' as the reason, in the transit permit issued by the wildlife authorities.

He also added that she wasn't given food or water, and was made to stand at the entrance for hours.

The TOI report added that the animal was also made to bless visitors for a fee, that the mahout collected, in violation of the rules.

TNIE reported that the organizers were the Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS), who were hosting a national convention on education in the city.

Acting on a tip-off, the police took away the animal in a truck, to the SPCA's Vepery office.