Alapuzzha: SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappaly Natesan has hit out at the Travancore Devaswom Board for the injustice meted out to Mr L. Sandeep, assistant priest of Ambalappuzha temple, who was suspended in connection with the disappearance of the pendant in April, while Mr S. Reghunathan Nair, then assistant commissioner, Ambalappuzha group, was shielded.
"The TDB punishes the innocents and shields the culprits," he said. Mr Sandeep had met Mr Natesan at his residence at Kanichukulangara here on Wednesday. This is a clear case of injustice. Even eight decades after the temple entry proclamation, TDB is reluctant to ensure social justice to the backward communities. Why the TDB has not given him chargesheet even after two months?" he asked.
"The Yogam had been raising the issue of TDB's bias over the years. It is being run by vested interests and casteists. It creates trouble for non-Brahmin priests and denigrates them. Many of them are still not being allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum. The government is silent over this," he said.
Mr Sandeep, who had been serving at the temple for the last three- and-a- half years, was suspended on September 15 after the Devaswom Vigilance inquiry recommended action against him along with Mr S. Raghunathan Nair for their lapses. However, the TDB promoted Mr Nair as deputy commissioner at Haripad.
The steps against Mr Nair were sabotaged at the administration level though the board meeting held on September 13 had approved the suspension of all four employees, including Mr Baburaj Namboodiri, head priest, Mr L. Sandeep, Mr J. Murukesan, then administrative officer, and Mr S. Reghunathan Nair.
Mr K. Raghavan, member, TDB, told this newspaper on Wednesday that the decision was taken by Devaswom Commissioner C.P. Ramaraja Prema Prasad.
Mr Sandeep told DC, "I have decided to meet Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran. I had requested the assistant commissioner to provide me the chargesheet and also met TDB members Ajay Tharayil and K. Raghavan at TDB headquarters, Thiruvananthapuram. I have decided to move the High Court to challenge the suspension order," he said.
