Political row continues over Ayyappa conclave; LDF hails it ''success'', UDF calls it ''flop''

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 21 (PTI) With the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, organised by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) in association with the Kerala government, having ended, a political debate erupted here on Sunday between the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the opposition Congress-led UDF over whether the event was a success or a failure.

CPI(M) leaders hailed the Sangamam as a "major success", while the opposition dismissed it as a "flop", citing visuals of halls with mostly unoccupied seats during some sessions.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan was the first to respond, asserting that participation had exceeded expectations. “We had planned for 3,000 people. More than 4,600 attended. Is that a flaw?” he asked.

Taking on critics, he alleged that sections of the media were running a “fake campaign” and even using AI-generated pictures and videos to "discredit" the event.

Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan said 4,126 persons participated, including 182 foreign delegates (39 from Sri Lanka) and 2,125 from other states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

The remaining 1,219 were from Kerala, including representatives of various devaswom boards.

He maintained that the Sangamam was conducted transparently as per Kerala High Court directions, without inconveniencing devotees and while following the green protocol.

“No complaints were received, including from Karnataka Congress leaders who attended. Allegations of empty halls are baseless—delegates were attending parallel sessions at different venues,” he said.

Vasavan said critics had circulated videos of the venue before the inaugural session to "falsely portray poor attendance." He emphasised that neither the government nor the TDB had any political agenda, and that the sole aim was to position Sabarimala as a global spiritual centre.

An 18-member committee has been set up to evaluate the recommendations that emerged from the three sessions, and its report will be made public.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, said that the Ayyappa Sangamam, organised under the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, turned out to be a "mockery driven by political motives." He said that empty chairs at the venue were proof that the government’s attempt to mislead Ayyappa devotees and believers had collapsed.

“Realising that this was nothing but a political drama staged with elections in mind, devotees stayed away,” he said.

Satheesan said that the world had seen, through the media, the visuals of vacant chairs.

“Arguing that these images were AI-generated is an insult to public intelligence. M V Govindan should not make himself a laughingstock with such statements,” he claimed.

Satheesan also said that inviting Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, was an "insult to Kerala’s secular spirit." “What message is the government conveying when the Devaswom Minister proudly read out Yogi Adityanath’s greetings at the event?" he asked.

"The chief minister himself had said that those who wear the cloak of devotion have a hidden agenda. As elections near, it is you who have now donned that cloak, revealing your own special agenda," he claimed, adding that the people of Kerala would deliver a fitting reply to this betrayal.

UDF leader and Kollam MP N K Premachandran termed the Sangamam an “utter failure,” alleging it was "politically motivated to polarise communities." “Even on live telecast, halls were empty. There were only speakers, not an audience,” he said.

He demanded that the government and TDB disclose expenditure details and any investment proposals that emerged from the event.

He accused the CPI(M) of attempting to woo Hindu voters after losing minority support in the Lok Sabha elections.

"The CM, who once mocked the Sabarimala tantri and facilitated women’s entry into the shrine in 2018, now shook hands with the same tantri during this event. This is nothing but a political stunt scripted by PR agencies," Premachandran alleged. PTI TBA SSK TBA SSK ADB