"Ayyappa bhakts of Kerala cannot be insulted any longer": Kerala BJP Pres Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Global Ayyappa Summit

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], August 28 (ANI): The row over the invitation to Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin for the Global Ayyappa Summit by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has snowballed. The Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that the Ayyappa bhakts of Kerala cannot be insulted any longer.
"It is our party's stated position that we believe that the Ayyappa bhakts of Kerala cannot be insulted any longer, and we will not allow CPM (Communist Marxist Party)
to do again what it had done before," said Chandrasekhar on Thursday.
"Cases were registered against the Ayyappa bhakts, and many were assaulted by the police and put in jail. The entire tradition of Sabrimala was threatened by the CPM government under Pinarayi Vijayan. We as a party opposed it," the BJP president added further.
"With four months to go before an election, the CM is organising an Ayyappa Sangamam in the holy Pamba and has invited two leaders, Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin. We will not tolerate this," stated Chandrasekhar.
Devaswom Department Minister VN Vasavan on Sunday said that the Global Ayyappa Sangam will be organised on the banks of the Pampa River on September 20.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will participate as the chief guest in the gathering, and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate it.
The global Ayyappa gathering is being organised in accordance with the rituals and traditions, with the participation of ministers from Karnataka and Telangana, Union ministers from Kerala, the opposition leader, and everyone else.
Around 3,000 delegates from various countries will participate. This is the first time in history that an Ayyappa devotee gathering is being organised with the participation of so many delegates. T
The aim is to spread the fame of Sabarimala. The government and the Travancore Devaswom Board are jointly organising the event. It will be held as part of the Devaswom Board's platinum jubilee celebrations. The minister said that this is an opportunity to listen to Ayyappas from all over the world.
Furthermore, speaking about the education system and the New Education Policy (NEP), President Rajeev Chandrasekhar criticised the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
"The Kerala government over the last 10 years has destroyed the education ecosystem in the state. Approximately 30% of undergraduate seats are vacant, and the dropout rate from government schools is high," he said.
Slamming the government further, he said, "By not implementing the New Education Policy, they are denying the Malayalis the opportunity for skill-based education. It is an open fact that the Pinarayi Vijayan government has destroyed education and skilling in the state; this is the reason so many students are going outside the state to pursue higher studies..." (ANI)