Opposition protest in Kerala assembly demanding resignation of minister, Devaswom Board president
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Assembly was disrupted for the second consecutive day on Tuesday following serious observations made by the High Court regarding the gold-clad copper coverings of the Dwarapalaka idols at the Sabarimala temple.
Opposition leader V.D. Stheeshan said the High Court's finding that the original gold-plated Dwarapalaka idols were sold at high rates was grave.
Speaker A.N. Shamseer suspended Question Hour as opposition Congress-led UDF members raised slogans and displayed banners. The Speaker intervened, stating, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate the gold plating issue. Therefore, the matter does not need to be discussed now."
Ruling party leaders said the Opposition was shying away from a serious discussion and creating unruly scenes. "It is a drama for vested political interests. It is only for publicity interest and not for public interest," said industriesminister P. Rajeev.
The opposition continued their protests, demanding the resignation of devaswom minister V.N. Vasavan and dissolution of the Travancore Devaswom Board, prompting the Speaker to adjourn proceedings until noon.
The Kerala High Court on Monday set up an SIT to investigate the issue and took suo motu cognisance based on a report filed by the special commissioner. The report revealed that the gold-clad copper covering of the Dwarapalaka idols and the peedam (pedestal) had been removed without prior intimation.
The Travancore Devaswom Board had sent the items to Smart Creations in Chennai for electroplating, sponsored by Unnikrishnan Potty. During the hearing, the division bench noted a reduction of around 4 kg in the weight of the gold after the idols were handed over to Smart Creations in 2019.
In a related development, Travancore Devaswom Board president P.S. Prasanth said that strict action would be taken if any wrongdoing was found regarding the weight of the gold in the Dwarapalaka idols at the Sabarimala temple. "Even if a pinch of gold is found missing, those responsible will be held accountable. The probe is being conducted on the directions of the High Court, and the report will be submitted within six weeks," he said.
Meanwhile, the TDB suspended B. Murari Babu, who was administrative officer of the board in 2019.
The Kerala Assembly has been facing opposition protests over the controversy surrounding the gold plating of Dwarapalaka idols at Sabarimala. Unnikrishnan Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman, had sponsored the gold plating and transported the idols to Chennai in 2019.
The Kerala High Court ordered the investigation after the Devaswom vigilance wing recovered a Dwarapalaka eedam (pedestal) from the house of Potty's relative. This discovery followed Potty's claim that the pedestal had gone missing from Sabarimala.
Allegations have also surfaced about a reduction in the gold at Sabarimala since 1998, when industrialist Vijay Mallya sponsored the sanctum sanctorum's gold plating.
