Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 3 (PTI) The controversy over the gold-clad plates of the Dwarapalaka idols at Sabarimala triggered a fresh political row on Friday, with allegations flying from both the ruling front and opposition parties.
Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, described the incident as “theft of Sabarimala properties” and called for heightened security for the Ayyappa idol.
“In 2019, when the Dwarapalaka plates were removed for replating, they reached the Chennai factory 39 days later. What happened during those 39 days should be thoroughly investigated,” he said.
Satheesan demanded a comprehensive probe into all temple inventories to determine what had been lost. “The current investigation focuses only on procedural lapses. We demand a full inquiry into the thefts at Sabarimala,” he said.
He alleged that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and the government violated rules by sending the plates for replating outside the temple, with sponsor Unnikrishnan Potty acting merely as a middleman.
He called for the resignation of the TDB president and minister, saying, “For self-defence, they are seeking a probe starting from 1998. The TDB president should resign immediately.” All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary K C Venugopal alleged the role of the state government, calling it a misappropriation of gold. “In other words, isn’t it gold smuggling?” he asked.
He welcomed the Kerala High Court’s intervention and expressed hope that the truth would emerge through the investigation under the court’s supervision.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala termed the incident a major security lapse, highlighting devotees’ concerns over temple property. He said two Devaswom Ministers, two TDB presidents, and the Thiruvabharanam Commissioner should answer to the public.
“Why has the chief minister not responded yet?” he asked. “People have no confidence in a TDB Vigilance investigation. A comprehensive probe should be conducted under the direct supervision of the Kerala High Court,” Chennithala insisted.
Taking a dig at the government and the TDB, senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan alleged that there was an attempt to sell the Sabarimala Sreekovil (the sanctum sanctorum). The former minister accused the Pinarayi government of supporting violations of tradition while gold was being looted from the shrine.
“By handing over the sacred plates to an unknown person, the government has hurt the sentiments of crores of devotees across the world. Who gave permission to Potty to exhibit the plates outside after removing them from the temple?” he asked.
Muraleedharan said a vigilance probe alone was not enough and demanded a detailed investigation.
Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan said he could not comment further on the controversy at this stage. He pointed out that the Kerala High Court had already taken a strong stand by ordering a probe by the TDB Vigilance wing under the supervision of a retired High Court judge.
“We will decide future steps based on the High Court’s directions after the Vigilance files its report. We also want the people behind this incident to be exposed. How Potty became involved must also be investigated. Let there be a probe into how he handled the gold-clad plates and where he took them,” Vasavan said.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) senior leader E P Jayarajan warned that those responsible for fraud would be traced and strict action taken. “No one will be allowed to misuse Sabarimala. The recent developments reveal that Potty was used against the Global Ayyappa Sangamam,” he said.
Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman, sponsored the gold plating of the Dwarapalaka idols and took them to Chennai for the purpose in 2019.
The Kerala High Court recently ordered a probe after a Dwarapalaka peedam (pedestal) was recovered from his relative’s house. He had earlier alleged that the peedam was missing from Sabarimala. PTI TBA SSK TBA SSK ADB
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