BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday said that there is a huge conspiracy behind the Sabarimala gold looting and influential political leaders are behind it, and that only a probe by a central agency can bring out the real culprits.
Speaking to the media in Thrissur, Chandrasekhar said that no one will believe the government’s assertion that Unnikrishanan Potti or N Vasu alone stole the Sabarimala temple gold. He said only a probe by a central agency can “uncover” the political links behind the huge conspiracy in the gold looting at the famed Sabarimala temple.
“There are political leaders behind the Sabarimala gold theft, and the Pinarayi Vijayan government will go to any extent to shield them. Only a central probe agency can bring out the real culprits,” Chandrasekhar said.
BJP Kerala chief’s statement comes at a time when he has sought a CBI probe in the Sabarimala gold theft case, in his petition filed before the Kerala High Court. In his petition, Chandrasekhar said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Kerala Police might not be able to conduct a fully independent investigation because the issue allegedly involves officers and former Board members belonging to the current ruling party.
According to the petitioner, the probe requires coordination across states because missing gold might have even been transported outside Kerala. Therefore, the petitioner urged the court to transfer the entire investigation to the CBI. The petition is expected to be heard in the coming days.
Chandrasekhar has strongly criticised the government over the KIIFB masala bond issue. He said the state government has “failed” to answer fundamental questions regarding the issue. The BJP Kerala chief said that the Kerala government has no answer as to why the money was raised in London and why it was not borrowed money through Banks in India.
“Why did the chief minister go to London to raise funds? Why didn’t they borrow through an Indian bank? Why was RBI approval not obtained? The government has not provided a single clear explanation to these questions,” he said.
Dismissing the CPM’s claim that the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED’s) notice on the Masala Bond issue was a politically motivated move timed for the upcoming elections, he said, “When a financial fraud is exposed, calling it political is just a distraction tactic.”
The Enforcement Directorate issued a show-cause notice under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his personal secretary, and former finance minister Thomas Issac over alleged foreign exchange violations linked to the state’s 2019 masala bond issuance.
The notice pertains to transactions amounting to Rs 468 crore. Masala bonds are rupee-denominated bonds issued overseas by Indian entities, instead of in local currency or US dollars.
Kerala was the first state in India to float such bonds in 2019. In that year, KIIFB raised approximately Rs 2,000 crore, later quantified at Rs 2,150 crore, through its debut masala bond issue on the London Stock Exchange.
The funds were intended for major infrastructure projects as part of a broader plan to mobilise Rs 50,000 crore for the state’s development.