Sangh Parivar Plans Parallel Event Against Global Ayyappa Sangamam at Pandalam
Thiruvananthapuram: In a counter move to the upcoming Global Ayyappa Sangamam at Pampa, the Sangh Parivar has announced a parallel congregation at Pandalam. The Hindu Aikya Vedi will organize an alternative Ayyappa Sangamam, while the BJP is set to launch a political campaign against the state government’s event. According to party leaders,The BJP's aim is to put the government on the defensive through the alternative meeting.
“The CPI(M) has been deceiving devotees by claiming to stand with their faith, while their actions over the years have insulted and undermined Hindu beliefs. This is nothing but opportunism,” Hindu Aikya Vedi president R.V. Babu told reporters. He further demanded that the government withdraw cases against those who had protested to protect Ayyappa traditions.
Babu asserted that the CPI(M), “built on anti-Hindu ideology,” could never genuinely support Hindu faith. “If they are truly sincere, let them first withdraw the cases against devotees who fought to protect the Ayyappa tradition,” he added.
Meanwhile, BJP leader P.K. Krishnadas clarified that the party is not opposed to the Global Ayyappa Sangamam itself but insisted that the Chief Minister and the state government must provide clarity on several concerns raised by Hindu organisations. Participation in the event, he said, should remain a matter of personal choice.
The Global Ayyappa Sangamam is scheduled for September 20 at Pampa, touted as one of the largest gatherings of Ayyappa devotees in South India. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the event, with ministers from Karnataka and Telangana, along with Union ministers from Kerala, expected to attend.
Entry to the programme will be regulated. Only devotees who have had darshan at Sabarimala at least twice in the past three years and are registered on the virtual queue portal will be allowed. Around 500 international delegates have also been invited. TDB president P.S. Prasanth has begun distributing official invitations to selected devotees, community organisations, and political leaders.
However, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has sharply criticised the event, calling it a “political drama” staged just months before the elections. “For ten years, the TDB has done nothing to provide basic facilities to devotees. Now, suddenly they want to host a grand event. This is nothing but vote-bank politics,” he alleged. Chandrasekhar also argued that those who once branded Hindus as “a virus” had no right to attend a congregation of devotees.
While organisations such as the Nair Service Society (NSS) and SNDP Yogam have declared their support for the Sangamam, the Congress remains skeptical, viewing the event as politically motivated. The Indian Union Muslim League, on the other hand, has extended its support.