Kerala’s Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Tuesday criticised the state government over the organisation of the Ayyappa Sammelan, calling it an act of “hypocrisy” and political posturing ahead of elections. Addressing the media in Malappuram, he said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was attempting to atone for past actions at Sabarimala while portraying himself as a devout leader. “The government has ruled for nine years without taking any significant steps for Sabarimala’s development. Now, suddenly, they show enthusiasm and call it a ‘Master Plan’. This is sheer deception,” he said. He highlighted that during the UDF regime, development projects on the 112-hectare forest land had stalled due to procedural hurdles, asserting that the current display of devotion was politically motivated. The Opposition Leader also referenced the recent message from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying, “the message made it clear what the government intends. The CPI(M) has an unholy alliance with the BJP, and this is the latest example. The people of Kerala can easily understand this.” He questioned the BJP’s separate Ayyappa Sammelan, stating, “If they had attended with Yogi Adityanath, that would have sufficed. Yogi is the Chief Minister’s most effective ally for majority appeasement strategies post the last parliamentary elections.” Incidentally, the Kerala government-sponsored’ congregation was held on September 20, and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated it, while the BJP-sponsored one was held on Monday and was inaugurated by former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai. The leader further accused the government of attempting to create caste and religious divisions, citing an incident where a person involved in a vigilance case was transported in the Chief Minister’s car. (IANS)
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