Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan, who stood by the LDF government in the recent global meet of Ayyappa devotees, taking the same line of the Congress and BJP, has demanded a CBI investigation into the Sabarimala gold theft allegation.
The prominent Ezhava community leader on Sunday said that the CBI should come and investigate the allegations raised in connection with the gold theft allegation in Sabarimala. He added that such a big fraud could not have been committed if Unnikrishnan Potty alone thought of it and that big forces are behind it.
Vellappally Natesan has raised serious concerns about the presence of secret groups allegedly extorting money from wealthy devotees in Devaswom-managed temples across Kerala. He also demanded the dismantling of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).
In the latest edition of ‘Yoganadam’, the SNDP’s mouthpiece, Natesan wrote, “Though Devaswom Boards are autonomous bodies, it has only namesake powers and those in its top positions were appointed by the ruling governments in respective periods.”
What is missing in Sabarimala is the gold offered by devotees to Sabarimala Ayyappa. That is why the alleged scam is putting the CPI-M in a difficult situation. It is severely hurting the government , the CPI-M and the Travancore Devaswom Board. It is to be noted that all the controversial dealings took place during the time of the Left government and the Left controlled Devaswom Boards. The Opposition may use the gold controversy as a powerful weapon against the government in the Assembly from Monday onwards.
The BJP, which is trying to keep the believers on its side along with the Congress, is also turning the controversy against the government. The SNDP, which stood firm with the LDF on the issue of faith, has already come out against the Devaswom Board in the gold theft controversy. The NSS, which came in support of the LDF government at the global Ayyappa Sangam and leaned towards the Left, is continuing to remain silent on the gold missing controversy.