Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has decided not to attend the upcoming Global Ayyappa Sangamam, a large-scale convention of Ayyappa devotees, to be held at Pampa in Kerala. In his place, two senior ministers from his cabinet will represent the state at the event.
The ‘Global Ayyappa Sangamam,’ organized by the Travancore Devaswom Board in association with the Kerala government, is scheduled to take place on September 20 at Pampa, the base camp of the Sabarimala temple. Kerala’s Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan had personally visited Chennai to extend an invitation to Chief Minister Stalin to be the chief guest at the event.
However, sources from the Chief Minister’s office have confirmed that Stalin will not be able to attend the function due to a prior engagement and has delegated the responsibility to Tamil Nadu Devaswom Minister P.K. Sekar Babu and IT Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan.
The invitation to Stalin had triggered a major political controversy, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu strongly condemning the move. BJP leaders, including state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, had accused both the Kerala government and Stalin’s party, the DMK, of “hypocrisy” and “opportunistic politics.” They had pointed to past statements by Stalin’s son and other DMK leaders against “Sanatana Dharma” and the Kerala government’s stance during the Sabarimala women’s entry issue, demanding an apology before Stalin’s participation.
The decision by M.K. Stalin to send his ministers instead of attending himself is being viewed by political observers as a move to avoid the controversy and de-escalate the political tensions surrounding the event. It allows the Tamil Nadu government to maintain good relations with the Kerala government while also sidestepping a confrontation with the BJP and other groups who had expressed opposition to his presence at the religious gathering.
The ‘Global Ayyappa Sangamam’ is expected to be a major spiritual and cultural event, with delegates from various countries participating.
