Opposition walks out of Kerala Assembly over Sabarimala gold row

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition boycotted the Kerala Assembly on Friday after Speaker AN Shamseer disallowed a debate on the alleged gold discrepancy at the Sabarimala temple.

Congress member Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan had moved an adjournment motion, claiming that gold-plated copper sheets covering the Dwarapalaka idols were removed without permission and that their weight had decreased by about four kilograms, causing deep concern among devotees. However, Speaker Shamseer rejected the motion, stating that the matter was sub judice and under the High Court’s consideration.

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Criticizing the Speaker’s ruling, Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan argued that precedents existed for discussing sub judice matters in the House. “The government is hiding behind procedures to avoid accountability,” he said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister MB Rajesh countered that the Opposition was attempting to create unrest among devotees, describing the move as “deliberate frustration.” He further alleged that the UDF was aligning with the BJP-RSS to disrupt the upcoming Ayyappa conclave.

Following the Speaker’s denial, the Opposition staged a walkout in protest.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered a detailed investigation into the alleged discrepancies in the weight of the gold cladding of the Dwarapalaka idols. The court directed the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to conduct a thorough probe and submit a report within three weeks.

The court noted a difference of about 4.54 kilograms between the initial gold handover and the weight recorded after the repair work by Smart Creations. It found the explanations provided by Smart Creations and Unnikrishnan Potti inadequate and unsatisfactory.

Earlier, the court had directed the TDB to restore the removed gold cladding but later permitted repair work to continue. It also impleaded Unnikrishnan Potti and Smart Creations, directing the production of all records related to the repairs.

Additionally, it instructed the Superintendent of Police, the Chief Vigilance, and the Security Officer to seize all documents concerning the gold-plating of the Dwarapalakas, the door lintel, the door panel, the Lakshmi Roopam, and the Kamanam from the date of the original cladding.

On September 15, the High Court had raised concerns over missing details of gold used in cladding the Dwarapalaka idols flanking the Sreekovil, pointing to discrepancies between official records from 1999 and the 2019 handover documents.