Sabarimala Protection Event Held in Protest Against Kerala Govt’s Global Ayyappa Sangamam

BJP's K Annamalai alleged exploitation of religious forums by the Kerala government while speaking against Sanatana Dharma. He also condemned the state government's actions during the 2018 Sabarimala protests.

Pathanamthitta: The Global Ayyappa Sangamam held at Pampa in Kerala on September 20 was met with a parallel event on Monday, September 22 titled Sabarimala Samrakshana Sangamam. Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai launched a scathing attack against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin during the programme. In his opening remarks, Annamalai accused both leaders of exploiting temple forums while speaking against Sanatana Dharma. He denounced the LDF government’s Ayyappa event as well as the DMK government’s Global Muruga Conference. “It was Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi who openly talked about eliminating Sanatana Dharma, and it was Pinarayi Vijayan who extended the invitation to him. The Muruga conference was held in Madurai, and Pinarayi has simply imitated it in Kerala,” he said.

Directing his ire at the Kerala CM, Annamalai said, “Those who deny the existence of God are now quoting the Bhagavad Gita. If you are citing Chapter 12, at least acknowledge that the scripture has many more chapters.” Quoting Thiruvalluvar, he further said that betraying people and abusing power is far worse than murder. Annamalai alleged that this was exactly what Pinarayi Vijayan did in Pandalam during 2018–19, when thousands of Ayyappa devotees allegedly faced hardships because of the state government’s actions. “A ruler should not behave in such a manner, yet today he gives us lectures from the Gita,” Annamalai remarked.

BJP Leaders Attend Event 

The programme was attended by several BJP leaders, including Karnataka MP Tejasvi Surya, Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, senior leader Kummanam Rajasekharan, along with prominent figures from Hindu organisations. The gathering saw a large turnout of devotees, with chants of Lord Ayyappa echoing across the venue. PN Narayana Varma, former secretary of the Pandalam Palace Trust, was one of the principal organisers. The event, supported by Sangh Parivar-aligned groups, acted as a counter to the Travancore Devaswom Board’s Global Ayyappa Sangamam held at Pampa on September 20. Pandalam, a municipality in Pathanamthitta, remains one of only two civic bodies in Kerala governed by the BJP. The party captured the local body in the 2020 elections, riding on the momentum of the 2018 Sabarimala protests. Whether the current mobilisation will recreate that impact is yet to be seen.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the BJP has always stood with the devotees. “We did it in 2018, and we will always continue to stand with them—I assure you this in the name of Ayyappa Swami,” he wrote on social media.