All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K.C. Venugopal, MP, has said that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala should "stop using" Lord Ayyappa of Sabarimala for political gains.

In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Mr. Venugopal pointed out that organising the Global Ayyappa Sangamam in the name of protecting faith was "nothing but hypocrisy" on the part of the government.

He said that the people of Kerala had realised the "political motives and the lack of sincerity" of the Chief Minister, who had once led the violation of traditions at Sabarimala and was now taking charge of the Ayyappa Sangamam. Mr. Venugopal alleged that the Chief Minister could not set foot in Pamba without answering the questions raised by Kerala society and that he would be "drenched in the weight of repentance."

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"By attempting to implement the court verdict on women's entry without holding discussions with believers, the government created a riot-like situation in the State. It has deeply wounded the minds of devotees. It is contradictory that the very person responsible for this is now organising the Ayyappa Sangamam in the name of protecting traditions," Mr. Venugopal said.

The Congress leader said it was shameful to stage "such a farce by taking people for a ride."

"Over the past nine years, there has been no development in the infrastructure at Sabarimala. The government continues to neglect essential needs such as drinking water, cleaning of the Pamba river, crowd management and transport facilities," he said, while asking how a government that "could not even safeguard the gold offerings made by devotees to Lord Ayyappa could ever hope to win the trust of the faithful."

Mr. Venugopal said the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s [CPI (M)] Devaswom Ministers refusing to bow before Lord Ayyappa itself "showed disrespect" towards the faith.

He added that it was by altering the affidavit submitted by the United Democratic Front government in the Supreme Court that the LDF government supported the violation of traditions. He asked whether the present government was willing to withdraw that affidavit. "At the very least, is the government ready to withdraw the cases filed against those who conducted the namajapa processions?" he asked.

Mr. Venugopal wondered whether the Ayyappa Sangamam was an indication of the CPI(M) "deviating from its dialectical materialism" and mocked whether this stance would change again after the Assembly elections.

He also demanded that the Chief Minister, "who had insulted" the Sabarimala Thanthri who protested against women's entry, should "at least now be ready to apologise."

K.C. Venugopal flays Kerala govt for 'politicising' Lord Ayyappa