Congress, BJP protests demanding Vasavan and Prasanth’s resignation over ‘Sabarimala temple theft’ roil Kerala

Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) protests, demanding the resignations of Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P. S. Prasanth, accusing them of authoritative connivance successful the alleged misappropriation of gold-plated copper engravings covering the chromatic carvings and sculptures astatine the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, roiled Kerala for the 2nd consecutive time connected Wednesday. 

Scores of BJP workers marched to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s authoritative residence astatine the Cliff House successful Thiruvananthapuram, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) enquiry into the alleged merchantability of the spiritual artefacts to affluent collectors for backstage worship. 

Internal audit records

BJP State nonmigratory Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the enactment had 3 demands. “The BJP requires the resignation of Mr. Vasavan and Mr. Prasanth. It wants the authorities to bid a CBI enquiry, fixed the inter-State ramifications of the lawsuit and nationalist mistrust successful Mr. Vijayan’s police. The TDB should merchandise interior audit records, including an inventory of donations received astatine the temple from lakhs of devotees, since 1999,” helium added. 

Mr. Chandrasekhar alleged that 10 years of Left Democratic Front (LDF) regularisation had fixed abbreviated shrift to the interests of hindu devotees and hindu places of worship. He questioned the rationale of the authorities administering hindu temples. At the aforesaid time, determination was nary akin bid to usurp the medication and absorption of the treasures of spiritual places of worship of different religions. He said that nether the LDF rule, the rights of hindu devotees were the astir trampled upon.

At Pathanamthitta, BJP Yuva Morcha workers staged a protestation successful beforehand of the local TDB office.

Arrested and removed

Meanwhile, the Congress disruption of the Assembly implicit “Sabarimala temple theft” spilt onto the thoroughfare astatine Mavelikara successful Alappuzha territory and Kannur. Youth Congress workers wearing achromatic shirts scaled the perimeter partition of the Kannur District Collector’s bureau to registry their protest. The constabulary arrested and removed them from the spot later. 

Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan besides sought to impact erstwhile Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran successful the controversy. He said the TDB had entrusted the socially well-connected erstwhile Sabarimala Ayyappa temple helper, Unnikrishnan Potti, to repair the gilded overlay of the “Dwarapalaka” sculptures flanking the entranceway to the sanctum sanctorum. 

He said that the authorities should bring those liable for replicating the gold-plated, engraved coverings successful copper and selling archetypal artefacts to affluent collectors to book. Mr. Surendran rejected Mr. Satheesan’s accusations aboriginal successful the House.