Kerala’s political landscape is ablaze with controversy as state BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar issued a searing ultimatum on Thursday, demanding the resignation of Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan over alleged irregularities in the gold plating of Sabarimala’s sacred idols. Speaking at a fiery protest march led by the BJP’s Mahila Morcha to Thiruvananthapuram’s state secretariat, Chandrasekhar warned that failure to step down would prompt the party to escalate the matter to the Centre, seeking a no-holds-barred CBI or Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into what he called a brazen betrayal of devotees’ trust. He further called for the dissolution of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), accusing it of gross mismanagement under the CPI(M)-led LDF government’s watch.

The scandal erupted after the Kerala High Court flagged a mysterious reduction in the weight of gold-plated copper plates adorning the temple’s Dwarapalaka idols, originally installed in 1998. Last week, the court upped the ante, ordering a criminal FIR and a time-bound investigation into suspected gold misappropriation from the shrine’s lintels, spotlighting a potential multi-crore scam. Chandrasekhar, a former union minister, accused the CPI(M) of “minority appeasement politics” that he claimed compromised the sanctity of Sabarimala, a revered pilgrimage site drawing millions annually. He revealed the BJP had already petitioned Kerala Governor Rajendra Arjun Vishwanath Viswanath to demand Vasavan’s ouster, amplifying pressure on the Pinarayi Vijayan government.

The Mahila Morcha’s protest was a spectacle of defiance, with hundreds of women activists, led by BJP heavyweights Sobha Surendran and Navya Haridas, chanting “Swami Ayyappa ki Jai” as they stormed barricades outside the secretariat. Some scaled the barriers, waving party flags, while others staged a sit-in, blocking the main road and paralyzing traffic with slogans demanding accountability. The protest’s intensity evoked memories of the 2018-19 Sabarimala women’s entry row, underscoring the temple’s emotive pull in Kerala’s polarized political arena.

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Chandrasekhar didn’t mince words, alleging the LDF’s oversight of the TDB enabled systemic lapses that allowed gold irregularities to fester. “If Vasavan doesn’t resign, we’ll ensure a CBI or ED probe rips this scandal wide open,” he declared, framing the issue as a test of the government’s commitment to Hindu devotees. The High Court’s intervention, coupled with the upcoming Mandala-Makaravilakku season expecting over 60 lakh pilgrims, has turned the heat on the LDF, with opposition parties like Congress joining the chorus for a central probe.

As the SIT races against a six-week deadline to deliver its findings, the BJP’s aggressive campaign aims to rally its Hindu voter base ahead of local elections, casting the scandal as a symbol of LDF’s alleged anti-Hindu bias. With devotees’ faith and Kerala’s temple governance at stake, this high-stakes drama promises to reshape the state’s political and spiritual narrative.

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