CM’s office constantly interfering to obstruct Sabarimala gold loot investigation: VD Satheesan

Opposition leader in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, on Friday, said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s claim that the Chief Minister’s Office did not interfere in the Sabarimala gold loot investigation and did not obstruct the investigation is untrue.

Speaking to media persons in Kochi, Satheesan alleged that the Chief Minister’s Office is constantly trying to obstruct the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT’s) investigation in the Sabarimala gold loot case and is putting pressure on the investigation team. ”An attempt is being made to infiltrate the SIT with the help of police officers with CPM links and leak investigation secrets to the CPM. The government is trying to protect CPM leaders,” he alleged.

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“The investigation in Sabarimala is being conducted under the supervision of the High Court. The opposition has faith in that investigation. But the government is deliberately trying to save the CPM leaders,” Satheesan claimed.

Satheean said the details of the series of thefts committed in the Sabarimala temple since 2019 came to light before the organisers of the International Ayyappa Sangamam at Pampa reached Thiruvananthapuram. If the court had not noticed the theft, they would have stolen even the gold idol of Ayyappa, he said.

Responding to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement on Thursday that the main accused in the Sabarimala gold robbery case, Unnikrishnan Potti, first entered the house of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Satheesan said the SIT is not probing who the accused took a photo with. If so, the Chief Minister himself should explain the picture in which he is seen with the accused,” he said.

“No one knows whether former Devaswam Minister Kadakampally Surendran was questioned or appeared before the SIT. Will Adoor Prakash be accused of taking a picture with Potti? If so, then Pinarayi Vijayan should also be accused. He should be questioned by the SIT. Pinarayi Vijayan is the one who knows more about Unnikrishnan Potti. It was Pinarayi’s colleagues who stole Ayyappa’s gold along with Unnikrishnan Potti. Is that why the Chief Minister stood with the same Potti? We do not blame the Chief Minister for standing with Potti. But, if Adoor Prakash is being questioned, then Pinarayi Vijayan should also be questioned,” said Satheesan.

When asked about the statement by Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan, accusing the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) of allegedly trying to stoke communal hatred by portraying that Ezhavas were against Muslims, Satheesan alleged that the Chief Minister is behind such remarks aimed at creating communal divide in the state.

He accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of using somebody else as his mouthpiece to create a communal divide in the state. “The same hate campaign being conducted by the Sangh Parivar is being carried out by some people with the blessings of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,” Satheesan claimed.

Satheesan asserted that the UDF has no conflict with the SNDP and that Natesan’s statements go against the secular philosophy of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, who founded the SNDP Yogam. He also warned that the CPM would have to pay a heavy political price for such tactics.