'Not just loot, but sacrilege': Rajeev Chandrasekhar demands Central probe into Sabarimala gold theft case

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 3 (ANI): Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Saturday escalated the political attack over the alleged gold theft at the Sabarimala temple, calling it "not just loot, but sacrilege," and demanded an independent Central investigation into the case.
In a post on X, Chandrasekhar said the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) own findings had validated the BJP's allegations from the outset. Referring to the reported stripping of gold from the Prabhamandalam and the Shiva and Vyali roopams, he alleged that the removal of 4.5 kg of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols could not have occurred without authorised access and "deep complicity at the highest levels of the government and the Devaswom."
"Because the Prabhamandalam is inside the Sreekovil, touching it and moving gold out is impossible without institutional collusion," Chandrasekhar said, rejecting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's earlier description of the incident as a "slip-up." He further alleged that evidence linking prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti to leaders of both the Congress and the CPI(M) pointed to political patronage across regimes that controlled Devaswom boards for decades.
Accusing the Congress and CPI(M), both partners in the INDIA alliance, of turning Devaswom boards into "organisations of corrupt brokers," Chandrasekhar said a SIT reporting to the same political leadership could not uncover the full truth. "Only an independent Central probe can," he asserted, adding that the BJP would not allow the case to be buried and promised "justice for Ayyappa bhakts."
The remarks came amid intensified political exchanges after UDF convener and Congress MP Adoor Prakash issued a clarification on his association with Unnikrishnan Potti. Responding to the Chief Minister's statement that he had accompanied Potti to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's residence, Prakash said Potti hailed from his parliamentary constituency and that his role was limited to accompanying him in his capacity as an MP. He maintained there was nothing improper about the visit.
The controversy has also triggered street protests. Earlier this week, Youth Congress workers staged a demonstration in Thiruvananthapuram, alleging delays in the probe, and police dispersed them using water cannons.
The Sabarimala gold controversy relates to alleged irregularities in gold plating works linked to a 1998 donation of 30.3 kg of gold and 1,900 kg of copper by industrialist Vijay Mallya. The SIT has arrested Unnikrishnan Potti and, more recently, former Travancore Devaswom Board member Vijayakumar, while submitting reports to the Kerala High Court flagging serious procedural lapses. (ANI)