Amid controversies surrounding the “Global Ayyappa Sangamam” being organized by the LDF government at Pampa in Sabarimala on September 20, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has conveyed that he will not attend the event.
In a letter to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan, Stalin cited prior commitments as the reason for his absence. He informed that Tamil Nadu Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P.K. Sekarbabu and Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services Palanivel Thiaga Rajan would represent the Tamil Nadu government at the event. The Kerala government had earlier announced Stalin as the chief guest for the function.
Meanwhile, BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar warned both Chief Ministers Stalin and Vijayan against “misusing the faith of Ayyappa devotees,” cautioning that the BJP would take to the streets if attempts were made to politicize Sabarimala traditions.
In a social media post on X, Chandrasekhar alleged that both leaders had “over the years harmed and insulted Sabarimala, Ayyappa devotees, and the Hindu faith,” accusing Vijayan of imprisoning devotees, filing cases against them, and using police violence to suppress protests.
Chandrasekhar further said that organizing an Ayyappa Sangamam under the CPI(M) government with Stalin’s participation was “as contradictory as Hitler standing up for the Jews or Osama bin Laden becoming an apostle of peace.”
He also reiterated that the Pinarayi Vijayan government, which had earlier filed cases against hundreds of Ayyappa devotees, was now attempting to project itself as a protector of Sabarimala traditions. “If Stalin participates as chief guest without apologizing for the insults to Sabarimala and Hindu devotees, he will be stopped,” Chandrasekhar warned.
Reports suggest that concerns over possible unrest at Sabarimala and the potential political fallout in Tamil Nadu—where a significant number of Ayyappa devotees reside—also influenced Stalin’s decision to stay away from the event.
The CPI(M)-led LDF government, in collaboration with the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), is organizing the International Ayyappa Sangamam as part of TDB’s platinum jubilee celebrations. The event aims to showcase Sabarimala’s cultural heritage globally by bringing together spiritual leaders, scholars, devotees, and cultural representatives from various countries.
The state had earlier witnessed violent protests after the LDF government enforced the 2018 Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala shrine.