Kochi: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was embroiled in controversy on Sunday after he backed out of a program organised in Kochi to celebrate menstruation.
The two-day program titled ‘Aarpo Aarthavam‘ was planned in a bid to end the stigma associated with menstruation.
The program was help in response to protests in Kerala by Hindu outfits over the implementation of a Supreme Court verdict permitting women in the menstruating age groups to enter into the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala.
It was initially said that Vijayan would be part of the program on Sunday. But government sources said the Chief Minister had not agreed to attend the function citing he had four back-to-back schedule as the reason.
Sources, however, claimed that the presence of people with extreme Leftist views in the program might have forced the Chief Minister to skip the function. ‘Kabali’ director Pa Ranjith spoke at the event on Saturday.