THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A political storm has erupted over the Global Ayyappa Sangamam held at Pampa on Saturday, with the CPM hailing it as a resounding success even as the Opposition insists it was a damp squib.
On Sunday, CPM state secretary M V Govindan declared that more than 4,000 devotees took part in the meet, dismissing criticism over visuals of vacant seats.
“False propaganda is being spread. If you want, you can even use AI to create empty chairs,” he quipped.
Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan backed the figures, saying 4,126 people attended the event. He explained that the main venue had a capacity of 4,000 and that participants later moved to parallel auditoriums for panel discussions, leaving seats empty.
“Those visuals were twisted to spread fake news,” he said, adding that an 18-member panel would review suggestions made during the sessions.
The Opposition, however, tore into the government’s claims. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said, “The empty chairs prove the Sangamam was a flop. Not even a fourth of what the government claims attended. Devotees rejected this political drama staged ahead of elections.”
Congress state president Sunny Joseph alleged the programme was staged without sincerity.
“The CPM tried to misuse Ayyappa devotion for electoral gain. The visuals speak for themselves,” he alleged.
BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar also questioned the credibility of the event.
“It is clear devotees stayed away. How can they trust a government that has hurt their faith? This was purely political,” he said.
With the Left projecting a turnout of thousands and the Opposition waving viral visuals of empty chairs, the Ayyappa Sangamam has become the latest flashpoint in Kerala’s charged political landscape.
Meanwhile, MP M K Raghavan has alleged that the Global Ayyappa Sangamam was organised on the advice of astrologers. Speaking to the media in Kozhikode on Sunday, he claimed that CPM state secretary M V Govindan approached astrologers, seeking remedies to ward off Ayyappa’s wrath.
He further criticised the state government, saying that it was the same administration that had supported the entry of women into Sabarimala. “If the government is genuine, it should first withdraw the cases registered during that time,” Raghavan said.