In a fresh turn of the Sabarimala gold‑plating controversy, former Devaswom minister and MLA Kadakampally Surendran has sent a formal legal notice to opposition leader V.D. Satheesan. The notice follows Satheesan’s speech outside the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Thursday, where he blamed Surendran for the alleged planning and execution of gold plating at the Sabarimala Temple.
In the notice, Surendran’s lawyer says the opposition leader’s comments were reckless and “unjustly damaging” to Surendran’s reputation. The lawyer highlighted the speech’s main points, including claims that the temple’s door‑guardian sculpture and other artefacts were removed and sold. “These allegations are false and made to gain publicity for Mr. Satheesan,” the notice states.
The letter insists that the Travancore Devaswom Board – a fully autonomous body under the Tamil Nadu Chhatrapati Hindu Religious Institutions Act (TCHRI Act) – manages Sabarimala independently of the state government. The notice argues that the board does not need to report to the State or seek approval for its actions, and therefore the accusations against Surendran about having “knowledge of maintenance or gold plating” are baseless.
Surendran, who served as Devaswom minister from 2016 to 2021, claims he had no role in any gold‑plating scheme. He says the accusations are a “deliberate attempt to tarnish my public image.” As a result, he demands that Satheesan retract his statements and issue a public apology. If the request is not met, Surendran threatens criminal charges and seeks compensation of Rs 2 crore for the damage caused.
The notice underscores the legal ground that the Travancore Devaswom Board holds complete control over temple affairs under Section 15 of the TCHRI Act, and that no state interference is allowed. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions over how Sabarimala’s artifacts should be managed and points to the broader debate on archaeological intervention at the temple.
Source: aninews
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