Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 19 Veteran Congress legislator Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday slammed the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan government and stated that it is becoming increasingly clear that his government’s policy is to ruin Sabarimala and disrupt the pilgrimage.
“This government should show more compassion to Ayyappa devotees,” said Chennithala.
Strong allegations have emerged accusing the government of failing to make even basic preparations for the annual Mandala pilgrimage season, despite knowing that lakhs of devotees from across India would travel to Sabarimala.
“The Government should have started preparations at least six months ago. Instead, authorities now cite the recently announced local body election code of conduct as an excuse. What does an election code, announced just a week ago, have to do with preparations that should have begun months earlier?” asked Chennithala.
“Even the Kerala High Court recently criticised the state’s lack of readiness. Reports from the ground indicate acute shortages of essential services, including medical facilities, sanitation, accommodation, crowd management, and police deployment. There is no adequate presence of central forces, and overall coordination between departments is reportedly missing,” added Chennithala.
Pilgrims arriving at Pamba, Nilakkal, and other crucial transit points have reportedly faced severe hardships, including lack of drinking water, toilets, transportation, resting areas, and emergency care.
Devotees from other states, particularly Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, have shared distressing experiences, raising concerns over safety and basic dignity.
“The new Devaswom Board President, who assumed charge just three days ago, reportedly expressed concern after witnessing the situation. While individual officials cannot be blamed, the government has a constitutional and moral duty to ensure smooth conduct of the pilgrimage,” pointed out Chennithala.
Questions are being raised as to why the Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan did not convene preparatory meetings earlier or ensure coordination across departments.
“The ones suffering due to this negligence are poor Ayyappa devotees,” said Chennithala alleging an intentional disregard toward pilgrimage management.
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