Stalin to Skip Devaswom Board Event
Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and HR&CE minister P K Sekar Babu would attend the summit that would be presided over by Kerala Chief Minister Pinayari Vijayan
Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin decided to give a miss to the Global Ayyappa Summit scheduled to be held on September 20 as part of the Travancore Devaswom Board’s platinum jubilee celebrations at Pathanamthitta on the banks of the sacred River Pampa, where pilgrims to the Sabarimala traditionally take a dip before ascending the hills to reach the shrine.
An official press release on Monday said that since the Chief Minister had given prior commitments for other events, his ministerial colleagues, Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and HR&CE minister P K Sekar Babu would attend the summit that would be presided over by Kerala Chief Minister Pinayari Vijayan.
Stalin had received the invitation to attend the summit, as a chief guest, from Vijayan a week ago through Kerala State Minister for Devasom, Ports and Cooperation V N Vasavan who had come down to Chennai for the purpose. Responding to the invitation, Stalin had already informed Vijayan about the prior commitments, the official press release said.
However, the BJP in Kerala had raised a storm opposing the invitation extended to Stalin for the Ayappa Summit and had vowed to not let him take part in the event. The BJP’s claim was that Stalin was a proclaimed atheist and hence should not be part of a religious meeting. They had also opposed Vijayan’s participation in the Summit.