<p>Thiruvananthapuram/Chennai: Amidst the strong campaign unleashed by BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits against the participation of 'atheist' Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin at the Global Ayyappa conclave to be held in Kerala on September 20, Stalin has informed the Kerala government that he could not attend as he was preoccupied with other engagement on that day.<br><br>Instead, he is deputing HR&CE minister P K Sekarbabu and IT minister P T R Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government.</p>.Will Global Ayyappa conclave help CPM politically or not?.<p>Sources told DH that Stalin did convey to a delegation from the Kerala government that met him last week inviting him for the event that his participation may not be possible due to his pre-fixed engagements and depute his colleagues to represent him.<br><br>In line with the commitment, the sources said, Stalin has deputed Sekarbabu and Palanivel Thiaga Rajan for the conference. The choice of ministers are interesting as both Sekarbabu and Thiaga Rajan are believers and sport kumkum on their forehead though they are an integral part of the DMK which is rationalist in nature.<br><br>“The message that the CM wants to convey is that DMK is neither anti-Hindu nor anti-religion and that’s why he has chosen two staunch believers to represent him and the state government at the conference. He is not only sending a signal that his government respects all religions but also busts the anti-Hindu narrative,” a source in the know told DH.<br><br>Thiaga Rajan’s family has had a deep connection with the Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple with his late grandfather P T Rajan being instrumental in installing the panchaloka idol of Lord Ayyappa in the 1950s replacing the old stone idol. Sekarbabu is also a staunch devotee of Lord Ayyappa and visits the temple almost every month.<br><br>BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar had warned in a statement that Stalin as well as Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan won't be allowed to attend the Global Ayyappa conclave to be held on the banks of the Pamba river on September 20 without apologising to Hindus. Chandrasekhar said that Pinarayi, Stalin and his son and Tamil Nadu minister Udayanidhi Stalin had hurt Hindu sentiments and they were trying to sabotage Hindu beliefs. <br><br>Tamil Nadu BJP state president Nainar Nagenthiran had also stated that the DMK and CPI(M) were attempting a spectacle to mislead Hindu voters as the elections in both the states were hardly eight months away. </p><p>He had also posted on social media video footage of the 'shameless remarks' of DMK leaders Udayanidhi, A Raja, K Ponmudy and T R Baalu.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram/Chennai: Amidst the strong campaign unleashed by BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits against the participation of 'atheist' Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin at the Global Ayyappa conclave to be held in Kerala on September 20, Stalin has informed the Kerala government that he could not attend as he was preoccupied with other engagement on that day.<br><br>Instead, he is deputing HR&CE minister P K Sekarbabu and IT minister P T R Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government.</p>.Will Global Ayyappa conclave help CPM politically or not?.<p>Sources told DH that Stalin did convey to a delegation from the Kerala government that met him last week inviting him for the event that his participation may not be possible due to his pre-fixed engagements and depute his colleagues to represent him.<br><br>In line with the commitment, the sources said, Stalin has deputed Sekarbabu and Palanivel Thiaga Rajan for the conference. The choice of ministers are interesting as both Sekarbabu and Thiaga Rajan are believers and sport kumkum on their forehead though they are an integral part of the DMK which is rationalist in nature.<br><br>“The message that the CM wants to convey is that DMK is neither anti-Hindu nor anti-religion and that’s why he has chosen two staunch believers to represent him and the state government at the conference. He is not only sending a signal that his government respects all religions but also busts the anti-Hindu narrative,” a source in the know told DH.<br><br>Thiaga Rajan’s family has had a deep connection with the Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple with his late grandfather P T Rajan being instrumental in installing the panchaloka idol of Lord Ayyappa in the 1950s replacing the old stone idol. Sekarbabu is also a staunch devotee of Lord Ayyappa and visits the temple almost every month.<br><br>BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar had warned in a statement that Stalin as well as Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan won't be allowed to attend the Global Ayyappa conclave to be held on the banks of the Pamba river on September 20 without apologising to Hindus. Chandrasekhar said that Pinarayi, Stalin and his son and Tamil Nadu minister Udayanidhi Stalin had hurt Hindu sentiments and they were trying to sabotage Hindu beliefs. <br><br>Tamil Nadu BJP state president Nainar Nagenthiran had also stated that the DMK and CPI(M) were attempting a spectacle to mislead Hindu voters as the elections in both the states were hardly eight months away. </p><p>He had also posted on social media video footage of the 'shameless remarks' of DMK leaders Udayanidhi, A Raja, K Ponmudy and T R Baalu.</p>