Opposition Protests in Assembly Over Sabarimala Gold Plating Controversy
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes on Monday as the Opposition staged a protest demanding an immediate discussion on the Sabarimala gold plating controversy. Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan raised the issue as soon as the House convened, urging Speaker A.N. Shamseer to take up the matter urgently. However, the Speaker proceeded with the Question Hour, ignoring the demand, prompting the Opposition to march to the well of the House demanding the resignation of the Devaswom Minister.
The protesting members displayed a banner reading “Ayyappan’s Gold – Swallowed by Temple Thieves” inside the Assembly, drawing sharp criticism from the Speaker, who termed it disrespectful. “No other legislature in the country has witnessed such a protest that blocks the Speaker’s view,” he remarked. Despite repeated requests, Opposition members refused to vacate the area near the Speaker’s chair.
Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal urged V.D. Satheesan to restrain the younger Opposition members, but the latter declined. Balagopal also questioned why the Opposition had not submitted an emergency motion on the issue. With the din continuing, the House was temporarily adjourned.
Meanwhile, new revelations have emerged in the Sabarimala gold plating controversy, casting doubt on Unnikrishnan Potti’s earlier claims. Reports suggest that the Devaswom Vigilance has found evidence indicating that the plates taken for repair in 2019 were indeed gold, contrary to Potti’s statement that he had received copper sheets. The Vigilance is examining how the gold was recorded as copper in official documents.
According to sources, the investigation report will be submitted to the Kerala High Court within this week, and there are demands to entrust the probe to another agency for a comprehensive inquiry.
Vigilance officials reportedly questioned Unnikrishnan Potti for nearly seven hours over two days. Although he denied the allegations, he allegedly failed to give satisfactory answers to several key questions. The Vigilance is now focusing on how the temple’s official records came to describe the gold plates as copper.