V.D. Satheesan, the Leader of the Opposition in Kerala, clarified on Friday that the United Democratic Front (UDF) has not declared an official boycott of the upcoming Global Ayyappa Sanghamam scheduled for Saturday, September 20, 2025, in Pampa. He emphasized that the Opposition’s stance is simply to challenge the government’s ethical justification for sponsoring such an event in the revered name of Ayyappa.
Satheesan asserted that if the government genuinely wishes to demonstrate its commitment to Ayyappa devotees, its first step should be to immediately drop the numerous cases filed against them during the 2018 Save Sabarimala Campaign. He highlighted that these cases impacted countless individuals, including women and children, who were participating in peaceful prayer marches.
Furthermore, Mr. Satheesan urged the government to retract its Supreme Court affidavit supporting the entry of women of childbearing age into the temple. Devotees widely perceive this endorsement as a direct contradiction to the fundamental tenets of the Ayyappa faith.
He implored the public to disregard the Sanghamam unless the government abandons what he termed its ‘deceitful’ attitude towards Ayyappa devotees. Satheesan suggested that by reigniting the Sabarimala issue, the government has unintentionally boosted the UDF’s political prospects. He criticized the LDF, stating they have ‘done nothing’ for Sabarimala’s development or pilgrim welfare over the last nine years.
Mr. Satheesan dismissed the Sanghamam as merely ‘a last-minute election stunt and a futile attempt’ to mislead the public.
Ongoing Protests
Satheesan announced that the UDF Parliamentary Party’s indefinite protest, staged outside the Assembly chamber, would recommence on September 29 when the House reconvenes. The protest calls for the immediate dismissal of police officers implicated in the alleged torture of a Congress worker at the Kunnumkulam police station in Thrissur during 2023.
Previously, Mr. Satheesan led UDF MLAs in a walkout from the Assembly complex, holding a banner that denounced ‘Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s cell-rule.’ He accused Mr. Vijayan of undermining law enforcement to target political opponents, claiming that ‘the police hierarchy is meaningless’ and plays no role in maintaining law and order. Satheesan alleged that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] controls police stations, leaving supervisory officers with no option but to adhere to party directives.
Mr. Satheesan concluded by asserting that the ‘distressing’ police surveillance video, obtained through RTI, depicting uniformed officers systematically assaulting Congress leader V.S. Sujith within the police station, ‘served as compelling evidence of Mr. Vijayan’s record on law and order.’