"Claims being spread are false": Keralam CM VD Satheesan on Guruvayur temple visit
Thiruvananthapuram, May 25
Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Monday rejected allegations circulating after his visit to Guruvayur Temple, clarifying that only a limited number of people accompanied him and that he followed all prescribed darshan rules.
Responding to the controversy, Satheesan said, "The claims being spread after my visit to Guruvayur Temple are false. Only four people were with me. I know that VIP darshan is not allowed on Sundays. I had taken a ticket for the darshan."
He also spoke about the Malayidamthuruth town eviction issue, criticising the previous government's handling of the matter.
He said, "The previous government did not take any action on the eviction issue at Malayidamthuruth. Those who never intervened even when authorities came 14 times to evict people are now coming forward."
Assuring support for affected residents, he added, "The people there will not be left on the streets. The UDF government does not have an approach of throwing people out onto the streets."
Earlier, VD Satheesan met with Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Delhi on Saturday as a part of his first visit since assuming office.
The Keralam CM earlier met with Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal.
Congress leader VD Satheesan was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Keralam last week, officially bringing the Congress-led UDF back to power after a ten-year hiatus, following their landslide victory in the 2026 Assembly elections.
The ceremony saw a massive turnout of top political heavyweights, signalling the national significance of the UDF's victory.
The event was attended by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, MP Priyanka Gandhi, and General Secretary KC Venugopal. It included Congress Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers like Siddaramaiah (Karnataka), alongside Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, Revanth Reddy (Telangana), and Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh).
Former Keralam CM Pinarayi Vijayan, former Assembly Speaker AN Shamsheer, Keralam BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and CPI leader Binoy Viswam also attended the swearing-in ceremony.
Alongside Satheesan, a 20-member Cabinet took the oath. Satheesan noted that government formation was completed in under 24 hours, the fastest in Kerala's history, while carefully managing regional and social demographics.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see transparency from the CM office. But why does every politician's temple visit become a controversy? 🙄 People should focus on real issues like the Malayidamthuruth eviction problem he's addressing.
Keralam is changing for the better. But let's not forget - VP darshan or not, the real test will be in governance. Hope this UDF govt delivers on promises. The eviction issue needs a humane solution, not just political statements.
This is what I call 'nalla bhavana' - good intentions. CM Satheesan is handling the transition well. But I wish he would also address concerns about rising prices and unemployment. Temples are important, but so is the kitchen! 🍛
Criticising previous govt is easy. Let's see how UDF handles the same issues. The Malayidamthuruth situation has been going on for years - both sides have failed. At least he's promising not to throw people out. That's a starting point.
Interesting how temple visits are such big news in Indian politics. In my country, politicians just go to church without fanfare. But I appreciate the accountability here - clarifying the rules and numbers shows respect for tradition. 🇮🇳
The speed of govt formation (under 24 hrs!) is impressive. Kerala politics is maturing. But the real challenge is maintaining this efficiency while managing coalition partners. Satheesan needs to show he's his own man, not just a Delhi puppet.