Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has informed his Kerala counterpart, Pinarayi Vijayan, that he will be unable to attend the Global Ayyappa Summit in Pamba on September 20 due to “prior commitments.”

Amid protests from the Kerala BJP over the participation of the two Chief Ministers, Stalin said he would deputise two of his ministers to attend the event on his behalf.

In a letter to Vijayan, Stalin stated he could not participate in the summit, organised as part of the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Travancore Devaswom Board, because of pre-arranged engagements. The Board oversees the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, and the summit is scheduled to be held on the banks of the holy Pamba River.

“I am not in a position to attend the Travancore Devaswom Board's platinum jubilee celebration due to pre-arranged events,” Stalin wrote, according to an official release on Monday night.

He added that he would deputise two ministers, PK Sekar Babu (Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department) and Palanivel Thiagarajan (Information Technology), to attend on his behalf.

Kerala Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan had formally invited Stalin last week to attend the summit. The invitation sparked a political row in Tamil Nadu, with Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar strongly objecting to Stalin’s participation. Chandrasekhar demanded that both Chief Ministers apologise to Hindus.

“Pinarayi, Stalin and his Deputy Chief Minister son Udhayanidhi Stalin have hurt the sentiments of the Hindus and are trying to sabotage Hindu beliefs. Pinarayi government jailed many Ayyappa devotees and unleashed brutal police attacks against devotees who tried to protect the belief on restriction on women's entry to Sabarima Ayyappa temple,” Chandrasekhar said in a statement.

 

PTI inputs