ALAPPUZHA: Devaswom commissioner C.P. Rama Raja Prema Prasad, controversial for his outrageous action against a lowborn priest recently, is now on the board to select Sabarimala Melsanthi.
The interview for the chief Priest will be held on Thursday and Friday at TDB headquarters in the state capital.
He sits prominently on the selection board at a time when the government has vowed legal action against him for violating Supreme Court verdict while cancelling the appointment of a non-Brahmin priest at the Chettikulangara Devi Temple.
Others on the board are TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan, representatives of Thazhamon family (Sabarimala Thanthri family) and Pandalam Royal family.
They will interview 110 Brahmin candidates for two ‘Melsanthi’ posts, one each at Sabarimala and Malikappuram.
Despite the controversy, the TDB appears hell-bent on shielding the official.
TDB member K. Raghavan said he was unable to respond why Mr Prasad was there and the board had not discussed action against him.
On September 27, the Devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran had promised action against him for quashing the appointment of low-caste priest Sudhikumar at Chettikulangara temple, after the law secretary it was illegal.
The Devaswom department had moved a file (324/ Devaswom II/17/ Revenue) to home department seeking further proceedings. But the officials still sits on it.
Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan, the president of Samuhya Samathwa Munnani, said the commissioner had been proven guilty and it is deplorable that TDB is still hesitant to act against him.
"It should show some spine. Otherwise, we will move to the court to get him punished," he said.
