Kerala Assembly Chaos: UDF Demands Minister's Resignation Over Gold Plating Irregularities
Opposition Intensifies Pressure on LDF Govt, Demands Vasavan's Resignation
The Kerala Assembly descended into chaos for the second consecutive day as opposition UDF MLAs demanded the resignation of the Devaswom Minister over alleged irregularities in the gold-plated coverings of 'Dwarapalaka' idols at the Sabarimala temple. The protests, led by the Congress-led UDF, disrupted proceedings, leading to the suspension of the question hour and the eventual adjournment of the House by Speaker A N Shamseer.
The uproar stems from a Kerala High Court directive to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe discrepancies in the weight of gold-clad copper plates on the guardian deity idols at the Lord Ayyappa temple. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan cited the court's "shocking" findings, alleging that the gold coverings were sold at inflated rates, accusing the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) of tarnishing the temple's sanctity and defrauding devotees. "The Devaswom Minister must resign, and the TDB should be dissolved immediately," Satheesan demanded.
The ruling LDF, represented by ministers K N Balagopal, M B Rajesh, and P Rajeev, hit back, accusing the UDF of staging protests for "narrow political gains" and colluding with the BJP-RSS to destabilize the government. Balagopal pointed out similarities between the UDF's protest slogans, such as "LDF chor hei," and those used by the RSS outside the Assembly, alleging a coordinated effort. Rajesh criticized the opposition for undermining the judiciary and the Assembly, noting that the government had already welcomed the SIT probe.
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Despite the Speaker's appeals for order and readiness for a debate, UDF MLAs continued their protest, raising banners and placards in front of the Speaker’s podium, disrupting listed business. The chaos led to missed opportunities to discuss critical bills, drawing ire from ministers. The House was adjourned until Wednesday morning.
The High Court’s involvement began after it was revealed that the gold-clad plates, last sent for re-plating in 2019, had lost approximately 4.5 kg in weight, a fact not reported by Devaswom officials. The court also mandated a comprehensive inventory of the temple’s valuables, supervised by retired Justice K T Sankaran, to ensure transparency.
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