Sabarimala gold missing row: BJP to hold march to CM’s residence on Tuesday

BJP leader P K Krishnadas has said his party will launch a protest against the LDF government over the loss of a large quantity of gold from the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.

Speaking to media persons here on Friday, Krishnadas said the BJP will hold a protest march to the Chief Minister’s residence (Cliff House) on Tuesday against the gold looting in Sabarimala Temple.

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Krishnadas challenged the Pinarayi Vijayan government to order a CBI probe into the alleged Sabarimala gold-theft scam.

“If the government has nothing to fear, it should order a CBI investigation into the scam,” he said, adding, “ Otherwise, the BJP will approach the court, seeking a CBI probe into the incident.

“ Shocking information is coming out from Sabarimala. Looting amounting to crores of rupees has taken place in Sabarimala and this happened with the help of the Devaswom Board and the state government,” Krishnadas said

The Devaswom Board, which was involved in the looting, should be dissolved and the Devaswom Minister should resign, taking responsibility for the huge gold theft that took place in Sabarimala Temple, he demanded.

Meanwhile, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, in a statement on Friday said that the CPI-M has betrayed the Hindu faith and Ayyappa devotees.

“In 2018, the CPI- M and its government tried to destroy the ritual and culture of Sabarimala. The CPI-M-led government arrested thousands of Ayyappa devotees, who protested against the violation of rituals in Sabarimala. Then, they organized an Ayyappa Sangam to deceive the Ayyappa devotees. Now, gold from the Sabarimala temple has been looted,” he said.

It is clear from the past incidents that Pinarayi Vijayan’s CPI-M government is corrupt, arrogant, and discriminates against Hindus.

Central agencies should investigate the Sabarimala gold theft committed by the LDF government, he said.

In this connection, BJP leader and former union minister V Muraleedharan said that the Pinarayi Vijayan government tried to make the Sabarimala shrine a commodity for sale. The then Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran and Devaswom Board President Padmakumar knew all the facts related to the gold theft.

V Muraleedharan asked how the gold-plating carried out on the Dwarapalaka idols in 1999, with 30 kilograms of gold donated to Sabarimala in 1998 by industrialist Vijay Mallya turned into copper. The government has a responsibility to answer to this, he said.