Kerala BJP to hold protests against ‘gold theft’ at Sabarimala temple on Oct 7

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 4 ( IANS) The BJP on Saturday announced protests against the Kerala government and demanded a probe by central agencies into the Sabarimala temple gold plating controversy, terming it “gold theft”.

The Congress-led UDF has already sought a CBI probe into the fresh controversy that has rocked the famed Sabarimala temple.

Veteran BJP leader P.K. Krishnadas said the party would hold a march to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence on October 7 as part of its protest.

“If the government has nothing to fear, it should immediately order a CBI inquiry into the scandal. Otherwise, the BJP will move the court,” he declared.

Krishnadas alleged that the controversy surrounding the gold plating of Sabarimala temple structures has exposed deep-rooted corruption within the administration.

“Shocking facts are coming to light. What took place in Sabarimala was not a mere irregularity but outright gold theft. Behind the so-called sponsorships, crores of rupees were looted,” he said.

The BJP leader claimed that the Devaswom Board and the state government were complicit in the misappropriation.

“It was not just intermediaries; the Devaswom Board and those in power facilitated the loot. They, too, received their share,” he alleged.

Krishnadas demanded the resignation of the Devaswom Minister and the dissolution of the Travancore Devaswom Board, accusing both of shielding the guilty.

He said that a neutral agency, independent of the state government, should conduct the investigation.

He also claimed that a major theft had occurred to smuggle out important documents and valuables from Sannidhanam.

“The government and Devaswom Board must explain what happened to the 30 kilograms of gold donated by former UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya,” he said.

Krishnadas also questioned why discrepancies in the weight of the Dwarapalaka (door guardian) panels, noticed in 2019, were never investigated.

“This is not a coincidence - it’s a cover-up,” he asserted.

--IANS

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