Days after row, CM, Vijayan share stage at Sivagari

Days after a public exchange over the demolition of illegally constructed houses in Bengaluru, chief minister Siddaramaiah and Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan appeared together on Wednesday in a setting marked by civility rather than confrontation. The two leaders met at Sivagiri Mutt near Thiruvananthapuram, shared the stage at a public programme, and exchanged pleasantries, offering a visible contrast to the recent political sparring between the two states.

The dispute was a result of the demolition drive in Kogilu Layout in north Bengaluru, which escalated into an interstate political issue after Vijayan described the action as “bulldozer raj” and appeared to compare it with what he called an “anti-minority” drive carried out by the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh. The remarks drew sharp reactions from Karnataka leaders and briefly hardened the public tone between the two governments.Against that backdrop, Siddaramaiah’s interaction with Vijayan during his visit to Kerala signalled an effort to keep the disagreement from deepening.

Both chief ministers were seated on the dais at the Sivagiri Mutt programme, where they enquired about each other’s well-being and maintained a cordial public posture.

Siddaramaiah, who travelled to Kerala to attend the event, also paid his respects at the tomb of Sree Narayana Guru. In a post on X, he said he was delighted by the welcome he received on arrival at Thiruvananthapuram airport. He wrote that he was pleased with the warm reception extended by Gyanateertha Swami and the followers of Sree Narayana Guru when he landed to participate in the programme at the Sivagiri Mutt.

Speaking at the 93rd Sivagiri annual festival, Siddaramaiah reflected on the legacy of Sree Narayana Guru, describing him as a philosopher, spiritual leader, and social reformer who challenged the injustices of the caste system in Kerala and worked to promote social and economic equality.

“Sree Narayana Guru was not just a saint. He was a movement for equality and morality,” Siddaramaiah said. He added that such sacred spaces must actively work to end caste oppression and guide society toward social justice. “The Sivagiri Mutt is not just a pilgrimage centre but a moral university of India’s conscience. This is an intellectual and global movement of humanity,” he said. The Sivagiri Mutt campus spans about 200 acres and is significant as the place where Sree Narayana Guru spent his final years.

The programme was attended by Sachchidananda Swami, the head of the mutt, along with All India Congress Committee general secretary K C Venugopal, Karnataka higher education minister M C Sudhakar, and member of the legislative council BK Hariprasad.