Gold-clad plates of Dwarapalaka at Sabarimala sparks political storm

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 3 (PTI) The controversy over the gold-clad plates of Dwarapalaka idols at Sabarimala triggered a fresh political row on Friday, with allegations flying from both the ruling front and opposition parties.

Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan described the incident as "theft of Sabarimala properties" and called for heightened security for the Ayyappa idol. "In 2019, when the Dwarapalaka plates were removed for replating, they reached the Chennai factory 39 days later. What happened during these 39 days should be thoroughly investigated," he said.

Satheesan demanded a comprehensive probe into all temple inventories to determine what has been lost. "The current investigation focuses only on procedural lapses. We demand a full inquiry into the thefts at Sabarimala," he said.

He alleged that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and government violated rules by sending the plates for plating outside the temple, with sponsor Unnikrishnan Potty acting merely as a middleman.

He called for the resignation of the TDB president and minister, saying, "For self-defence, they are seeking a probe starting from 1998. The TDB president should resign immediately".

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary KC Venugopal alleged the role of the state government, calling it a misappropriation of gold.

"In other words, isn’t it a gold smuggling?" he asked.

He welcomed the Kerala High Court's intervention and expressed hope that the truth would emerge through the investigation under the court’s supervision.

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala termed the incident a major security lapse, highlighting devotees’ concerns over temple property. He said two Devaswom Ministers, two TDB presidents, and the Thiruvabharanam Commissioner should answer to the public.

"Why has the chief minister not responded yet?" he asked. "People have no confidence in a TDB Vigilance investigation. A comprehensive probe should be conducted under the direct supervision of the Kerala High Court," Chennithala insisted.

Taking a dig at the government and the TDB, senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan alleged that there was an attempt to sell the Sabarimala Sreekovil (the sanctum sanctorum). The former minister accused that while the Pinarayi government was supporting violations of tradition, gold was being looted from the shrine.

"By handing over the sacred plates to an unknown person, the government has hurt the sentiments of crores of devotees across the world. Who gave permission to Potty to exhibit the plates outside after removing them from the temple?" he asked.

Muraleedharan said a vigilance probe alone was not enough. He demanded a detailed investigation. Meanwhile, CPI(M) senior leader EP Jayarajan warned that those responsible for fraud would be traced and strict action taken.

"No one will be allowed to misuse Sabarimala. The recent developments reveal that Potty was used against the Global Ayyappa Sangamam," he said. Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman, sponsored the gold plating of Dwarapalaka idols and took them to Chennai for the purpose in 2019.

Kerala High Court recently ordered a probe after a Dwarapalaka peedam(pedestal) was recovered from his relative’s house. He earlier alleged that Peedam was missing from Sabarimala. PTI TBA. TBA ADB