Top Congress leaders in Kerala are sounding the alarm over a shocking controversy at Sabarimala temple, one of India’s holiest pilgrimage sites. They’re calling out what they see as major mishandling of gold used for temple repairs, urging a full probe to protect devotees’ faith.
V.D. Satheesan, the current Leader of Opposition, and his predecessor Ramesh Chennithala voiced their outrage on Friday. Chennithala went straight to the point, demanding a thorough investigation supervised by the Kerala High Court. “This is a clear violation of temple rules and a betrayal of the trust millions of Ayyappa devotees place in Sabarimala,” he said.
The uproar centers on missing gold from the temple’s gold-plating project. Satheesan highlighted key red flags: The company involved claimed they only shipped copper sheets to Chennai for processing, implying the gold got stripped off right there at the site. But the Kerala High Court flagged a suspicious 40-day delay before those sheets even arrived in Chennai. “Where was the gold during that time?” Satheesan asked, raising eyebrows about the whole operation.
He also zeroed in on sponsor Unnikrishnan Potti and the officials who greenlit moving the gold out of Sabarimala. “Temple valuables like this should never leave the premises without proper approval,” Satheesan stressed, pointing to strict protocols everyone knows.
Chennithala didn’t hold back either, labeling it a “blatant breach” of the Devaswom manual that governs the temple. He explained that all repairs must happen inside Sabarimala, with nods from the Tantri (chief priest) and the Devaswom Commissioner. “None of that happened here,” he said. Adding fuel to the fire, he revealed that 42 kilograms of gold sheets went to Chennai—but only 38 kilograms came back.
The leaders worry this scandal could erode the devotion of the millions who trek to Sabarimala every year for the Ayyappa pilgrimage. Chennithala even suggested a shadowy group might be pulling strings, possibly roping in big names like actor Jayaram. Reports claim his presence at a temple ritual was used to mask some financial irregularities.
Satheesan called for immediate safeguards around the sacred Ayyappa idol and all temple assets while the probe ramps up. Both demanded answers from ministers, Travancore Devaswom Board presidents, and officials tied to the mess since 2019. They want quick, transparent steps to rebuild trust in this iconic shrine.
With the Kerala High Court set to oversee the inquiry, the Sabarimala gold scandal keeps drawing intense scrutiny. Questions swirl around the missing gold, hidden dealings, and possible cover-ups, spotlighting bigger issues of governance and accountability at one of India’s most treasured religious sites.
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