Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday criticized the Congress-led UDF opposition for repeatedly disrupting Assembly proceedings over the alleged “gold theft” at Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple.
Terming the opposition’s protests as “unprecedented,” Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the opposition was avoiding a proper discussion on the issue out of fear that the facts would turn against them.
The Chief Minister’s remarks came after the opposition’s protests disrupted the Assembly for the third consecutive day on Wednesday. UDF members have been interrupting proceedings since Monday, demanding the resignation of Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan over the alleged theft.
Accusing the opposition of creating a “smokescreen” around the missing gold issue, CM Vijayan asserted that the government was not intimidated by such attempts.
“The government has repeatedly stated its willingness to discuss the matter. Even a meeting convened by the Speaker to resolve the deadlock was boycotted. This clearly shows that they are not seeking any consensus,” he said in the Assembly.
Chief Minister Vijayan added that the government had informed the High Court of its support for a serious investigation into the matter. Subsequently, the High Court constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by an ADGP-rank officer, to probe the allegations.
“Now the opposition is demanding a CBI inquiry. There is political motivation behind this demand,” he said.
The Kerala Assembly witnessed yet another day of disruption on Wednesday, with opposition members raising placards and banners over the Sabarimala gold theft issue, marking the third consecutive day of interrupted proceedings.