Ahmedabad, 23 April 2013

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will arrive at Sivagiri Matt at Varkala in Kerala on April 24. Modi will inaugurate the 51st Sree Narayana Dharma Meemamsa Parishath and valedictory meet of 101th Sree Sarada idol installation, during the occasion. Modi will pay homage to the great saint Sree Narayana Guru, who changed the face of social life in Kerala and is a source of inspiration for all social reformers. Sivagiri Matt is famous as the resting place of Guru one of the great social reformers of modern Kerala. The Sivagiri Mutt is the headquarters of the Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham, an organization established by Sree Narayana Guru to propagate his concept of ‘One Caste, One Religion, One God’.

The visit of Modi attracted criticism from CPI(M) State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, who said Sanyasis of Sivagiri Matt are trying to convert Sivagiri Mutt to a ‘Hindu Mutt’. The recent meeting between Kerala Labour Minister Shibu Baby and Modi kicked up a political maelstrom in the state.

Meanwhile, Mutt General Secretary Rhithambharananda Swami said there was no politics involved in the invitation of Modi to the Mutt. Though the Mutt had extended invitation to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi, they did not respond, he added. CPI(M) veteran and Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said he would not attend the celebrations in protest against the Modi’s visit to the Mutt.

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