CHENNAI: Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister PK Sekarbabu on Tuesday said that he and his cabinet colleague PTR Palanivel Thiaga Rajan would attend the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, organised by the Travancore Devaswom Board, on behalf of Chief Minister MK Stalin and the Dravidian model government.

“As the CM has prior commitments, he will not be able to participate in the event. He conveyed this to Kerala’s Minister Vijayan when the latter visited to extend an invitation,” Minister Sekarbabu said, after flagging off the department-organised free spiritual tour to the Arupadai Veedu temples.

Responding to state BJP leader Nainar Nagenthran’s criticism of the Kerala government’s invitation to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, Sekarbabu said the remarks “clearly reveal their fear.” He added that the Dravidian model government would put an end to that fear in the 2026 Assembly elections by winning in his (Nainar’s) constituency.