Opposition MLAs in Kerala disrupted Assembly proceedings for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of the state’s Devaswom Minister over alleged financial irregularities linked to the gold-plated coverings of the 'Dwarapalaka' idols at the Sabarimala temple.
Speaker AN Shamseer first suspended Question Hour amid the ruckus and subsequently adjourned the House for the day as protests by the Congress-led UDF continued unabated.
The UDF intensified its attack using the striking remarks made by the judiciary concerning the controversy. Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan cited the High Court’s findings as "shocking," alleging that the gold covering of the idols had effectively "been sold at a high rate."
He argued that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the shrine, had not only "destroyed the sanctity" of Sabarimala but had also "cheated lakhs of devotees of Lord Ayyappa." Satheesan demanded: "Therefore, our strong demand is that the Devaswom Minister should resign and the TDB should be dissolved."
The ruling benches strongly defended the government. Ministers MB Rajesh and P Rajeev labelled the continuing protest a "drama," pointing out that the government had already welcomed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe ordered by the High Court. They accused the UDF of disrupting proceedings for "narrow political gains."
Finance Minister KN Balagopal launched a sharper attack, accusing the Congress-led UDF of colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in the Sabarimala row to target the government. He alleged that the UDF's protest slogans being raised in the House, such as the Hindi phrase "LDF chor hei" (LDF is a thief), were similar to those used by the RSS outside, concluding that the protests were designed to "indirectly support the BJP."
The protests follow the Kerala High Court’s directive on Monday to form an SIT to investigate alleged irregularities. The weight disparity was discovered after it was revealed during court proceedings that the gold-clad copper plates, when last taken out for plating in 2019, had lost around 4.5 kg of weight, a reduction that was not previously reported by Devaswom officials.
The High Court has also ordered a comprehensive inventory of all valuables, including gold, at the Sabarimala temple, to be conducted under the supervision of retired Justice KT Sankaran.
Also read: Kerala HC forms SIT to probe missing gold from Sabarimala idols
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