Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar presents Lord Ganesha's idol to NSS members amid 'myth' controversy

Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday (August 30) campaigned for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate G Lijin Lal who is contesting the Puthuppally bypoll. Meanwhile, he presented a Ganesha idol to NSS amid the ongoing controversy on 'myth' remark by Speaker A N Shamseer.  

Kottayam: Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who came to Puthupally for the byelection campaign of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Lijin Lal, presented the Ganesha idol to the Nair Service Society (NSS). The minister returned after having lunch with the NSS office-bearers who are campaigning in the constituency. The Speaker of the Kerala assembly A N Shamseer recently said that Lord Ganesha is a myth, which sparked a lot of backlash. In the NSS state-wide Namajapa procession, a significant number of devotees—including women—demanded an apology from the Speaker for the remark that hurt people's sentiments.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar's gesture of giving a Ganesha idol to NSS members is highly meaningful in this circumstance. The Union Minister, from Sabarimala issue to Padmanabhaswamy Temple, has consistently advocated for the notion that in all circumstances, the sentiments and rituals of devotees should come first. He has climbed the Sabarimala 26 times previously.

The Speaker stirred controversy when he said that the Centre was attempting to educate kids about Hindu myths rather than advances in science and technology. "They are attempting to prove that plastic surgery, infertility therapy, and aircraft have been around since the beginning of Hinduism. Wright Brothers were credited with creating the airplane during the time I was in school. They are currently attempting to prove that Pushpak Vimana is the first aircraft," he said.

Shamseer continued by claiming that the Hindutva ideologists spread the concept that Lord Ganesh received his face through plastic surgery and dismissed it as a myth.

The procession was organised from Palayam Ganapathi temple to Pazhavangadi Ganapathi temple at East Fort in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday (Aug 2). NSS demanded an apology from Shamseer to all Hindu devotees, however, the Thalassery MLA and the CPM jointly refused to apologise.