ThiruvananthapuramSeptember 4, 2025 10:00 AM IST
First published on: Sep 4, 2025 at 10:00 AM IST
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) on Wednesday weighed in on the controversy surrounding the global summit for Sabarimala devotees, even as it accused the ruling CPI(M) government in Kerala of organising the event “for political gains”.
Announcing that while the UDF will not boycott the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan said the CPI(M)’s love for Ayyappa devotees amounts to insulting them. “It (the event) is meant for political gains and shows the CPI(M)’s political hypocrisy. Will the (Pinarayi) Vijayan government withdraw its affidavit filed in the Supreme Court that said it favoured the entry of young women into the (Sabarimala) temple? We are not boycotting the event. Let the government first answer our questions and only then approach us with an invitation,” he said.
Satheeshan’s reference was to the affidavit submitted in the Supreme Court by the CPI(M)-led government and state-run Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) in which they favoured the entry of women of all ages (including women of menstruating age, who were barred) into the Sabarimala temple, a move construed as affirmation of the party’s pro-gender equality and progressive stand.
In 2018, the Supreme Court had allowed women of all ages to enter the temple, following which the LDF government had come under attack from the UDF, BJP and Sangh.
The Sangamam has emerged as a tightrope for the UDF, which can ill-afford to antagonise the Hindus, and the Congress’s decision not to boycott it is being viewed as a calculated move. Any negative stand against the Sangamam would provide an opportunity to the CPI(M) to paint the Opposition as being against Sabarimala’s development.
In case of the CPI(M), many believe that the event – officially being hosted by the TDB – provides them an opportunity to woo the Hindus ahead of the upcoming local body polls and next year’s Assembly elections.
In a move that is likely to boost the CPI(M), two prominent Hindu community outfits – the Nair Service Society and Sree Narayana Dharma Paripala (SNDP) Yogam, which caters to the Ezhava community – have thrown their weight behind the event.
On the other hand, the BJP has accused the Vijayan government of “playing politics over Sabarimala”, and demanded that the state government withdraw its affidavit on women entry from the top court.
With the pressure piling, both the TDB as well as the state government seem to have relented. Claiming that the TDB was ready to amend the affidavit “to protect the interest of devotees”, TDB president P S Prasanth said the Board would “consult legal experts and try to convince the Supreme Court about the traditions and rituals of the temple”.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said the party always stands with the faithful. “Those who approach religion and faith with a political agenda are communalists. They are now working against the Ayyappa Sangamam,” he added.