Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan announced that the United Democratic Front (UDF) is completely unfazed by the Nair Service Society’s (NSS) recent reaffirmation of its staunch support for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. This endorsement specifically concerns the LDF’s policies on safeguarding Sabarimala temple traditions, enhancing pilgrim welfare, and developing the revered hill shrine.
Addressing reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Satheesan dismissed suggestions that the UDF needed to ‘mend fences’ with the NSS, particularly in an election year where the organization seems to be aligning more closely with the LDF. He clarified that such a question was baseless as there had been no dispute or falling out between the UDF and the NSS.
Satheesan asserted that the NSS, like any other social organization, is free to determine its stances on various issues. He pointed out that while the SNDP Yogam participated in the government-backed Global Ayyappa Sanghamam, other groups like the Kerala Brahmana Sabha and Kerala Yoga Kshema Sabha chose not to. ‘Social organizations are at liberty to adjust their policies, and the UDF has no intention of criticizing or blaming them for their choices,’ he explained.
Mr. Satheesan reiterated that the UDF’s decision to boycott the Sanghamam was a firm and unchangeable political stance. He firmly stated that the UDF remains committed to exposing the LDF’s ‘election-eve antic’ — a last-minute, poorly attended conference on Sabarimala development, which he described as a dishonest political maneuver designed solely to attract Hindu votes.
Satheesan further accused the LDF of attempting to garner Hindu majoritarian votes after their initial strategy to secure minority votes evidently fell short. He highlighted that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] displayed a clear shift towards the right during the Sanghamam event. He specifically pointed out that during the conference, Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan publicly read out blessings from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, illustrating this shift.
In a thinly veiled criticism aimed at SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellapally Natesan, Mr. Satheesan remarked that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan personally transported ‘a person known for inciting communal hatred against minorities’ to the event in his official vehicle.
Satheesan contrasted this by asserting that the UDF stands against both majority and minority communalism and does not engage in appeasement politics. He challenged the LDF to demonstrate genuine commitment to Sabarimala by retracting the Supreme Court affidavit that supports women’s entry into the temple. Additionally, he called for the withdrawal of hundreds of legal cases filed against Ayyappa devotees during the fervent ‘Save Sabarimala Campaign’ in 2018.