Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 13 (NationPress) Allegations of extensive financial misconduct surrounding the Global Ayyappa Meet associated with Sabarimala have ignited a new political controversy. Senior Congress figures Ramesh Chennithala and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan have accused Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan of deceiving the Assembly and are calling for full transparency.

The much-publicized meeting took place last year, and the High Court has now emphasized the need for financial scrutiny.

Chennithala claimed that “significant fraud” was executed under the pretext of the Ayyappa meet, declaring his intention to file a breach of privilege notice against the Minister for allegedly supplying false information in the Kerala Assembly.

The Assembly is set to reconvene on February 23, and Chennithala is likely to present his case during this session.

He asserted that the Minister had claimed the funds for the event were transferred to the Devaswom Board, yet the complete sum had not been disbursed.

“The government informed the court that the event would not incur government expenses. Why, then, are there conflicting figures presented before the Assembly and the High Court?” Chennithala questioned, demanding a thorough explanation from both the government and the Devaswom Board.

Radhakrishnan supported this accusation, labeling the event a “burden” for the government.

He stated that the Assembly record is an official document and questioned why an honest response was absent on the Assembly floor.

“What explains the two differing accounts before the Assembly and the High Court?” he asked, pressing the government and the Board to clarify the inconsistency.

Chennithala also raised concerns about the event’s execution, including how organizational duties were allocated and whether expense claims were exaggerated.

He contended that charges were made even for events that did not take place and sought clarification on reported discrepancies in logistics and payments.

Both leaders insisted that the financial records and spending details of the Ayyappa meet should be fully disclosed.

“Citizens deserve to know the truth,” they declared, urging the Devaswom Minister for clarity on whether differences exist between him and the Devaswom Board regarding the financial management of the event.

In response to the uproar, former TDB president P.S. Prasanth, during whose term the event occurred, took to social media to highlight attempts to disseminate misinformation about the organizational costs of the Ayyappa Meet.

“To date, only ₹3 crore has been expended for organizing the event. This entire sum was sourced through sponsorship, with an additional ₹1 crore acquired as sponsorship,” Prasanth stated.

“An advance of ₹3 crore had been drawn under 'Religious Conferences and Discourses' for organizational purposes. However, this amount was entirely repaid on October 17, 2025, upon receiving the sponsorship funds. Not a single rupee has been spent from the Devaswom Board’s funds to date,” he affirmed.

“Regarding the total expenditures, the Devaswom Commissioner, in an interim report submitted to the court on November 4, 2025, stated the total was ₹4.5 crore plus GST,” he added.

“Thus, the basis for the present report needs scrutiny. These details are verifiable by anyone,” concluded Prasanth.

Meanwhile, the Board (now under new leadership) is set to convene soon to address the ongoing controversy.