Allegations of financial irregularities related to the Global Ayyappa Meet connected to Sabarimala have led to a political uproar. Senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan have accused Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan of providing misleading information to the Assembly and are demanding detailed disclosures. The High Court has also raised concerns about the financial transparency of the event.
Chennithala has alleged a “massive fraud” during the Ayyappa meet and plans to submit a breach of privilege notice against the Minister for allegedly sharing incorrect details in the Kerala Assembly. The Assembly session is set to reconvene on February 23, with Chennithala expected to address this issue during the ongoing session. He has questioned discrepancies in the financial information presented before the Assembly and the High Court.
Radhakrishnan has echoed these concerns, labeling the event as a “liability” for the government. He emphasized the importance of providing accurate information in the Assembly and demanded explanations for the conflicting accounts presented in different forums. Both leaders are calling for full transparency regarding the accounts and expenses associated with the Ayyappa meet.
Former TDB president P.S. Prasanth, under whose leadership the event took place, has refuted claims of misinformation regarding the event’s organizational expenses. He clarified that the event’s costs were covered through sponsorships, with no expenditure from the Devaswom Board’s funds. Prasanth highlighted that the total expenditure, as reported to the court, was Rs 4.5 crore plus GST. The current Board is expected to address the ongoing controversy in an upcoming meeting.
