'Aimed at shielding accused in Sabarimala gold case': BJP and Cong on buzz over TDB term extension

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 5 Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and MLA Sunny Joseph on Wednesday accused the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government of attempting to shield the accused in the Sabarimala gold plating case by extending the tenure of the current Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).

Joseph's statement comes hours after the Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted permission to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a scientific examination as part of its probe into the alleged gold plating irregularities at the Sabarimala temple.

Meanwhile, state unit BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday said they will approach the Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar and insist that he should not give his ascent to the extension of the present TDB Board.

One term of the TDB is for three years after which the state government appoints a fresh team or extends the tenure of the sitting board. The term of the current three-member TDB is ending shortly. Speculation have been rife that the Vijayan government is keen to give a fresh term to the existing board.

Joseph alleged that the government's decision to reportedly prolong the term of the current Devaswom Board administration was part of a deliberate bid to protect those involved in the scandal, including board members and political figures.

"The move to extend the board's term is not for administrative convenience but to protect the accused," Joseph said, adding that the government had created time and opportunity for the destruction of vital evidence.

Criticising the lack of progress in the probe despite a month having passed since the High Court’s stern observations, Joseph said that "there has been no effective questioning, no recovery of the lost gold, and the investigation remains virtually frozen".

He added that without the High Court’s continued oversight, the case might have been quietly buried.

Incidentally, the current Devaswom Board president, P.S. Prasanth is a former Congress leader from Thiruvananthapuram who joined the CPI-M after losing the 2021 Assembly election as a Congress candidate.

After his defection, he was rewarded with the prime post of TDB president.

The KPCC chief demanded that the government dissolve the present board and ensure that all culprits are brought to book.

"What we need is a decisive investigation, not a cover-up," he said.

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