The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced a series of agitations across the State over the alleged Sabarimala gold theft, accusing the State government and the Travancore Devaswom Board of large-scale corruption and cover-up.
Speaking to the media in Thrissur on Tuesday, BJP general secretary M.T. Ramesh said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s silence in the Sabarimala gold theft case was “highly suspicious.” “The court has already confirmed that the gold was indeed stolen. It has been smuggled out with the consent and assistance of the Devaswom Board,” Mr. Ramesh alleged.
He claimed that former Devaswom Board presidents and Ministers were involved in the malpractice. “Irregularities began during the tenure of E. Padmakumar and N. Vasu. Mr. Vasu, who is a close associate of the Chief Minister, was instrumental in several dubious dealings at Sabarimala,” he said.
Mr. Ramesh alleged that the same forces that tried to “destroy” Sabarimala were behind the gold theft. “In 2018, it was the Chief Minister himself who led the attempt to desecrate Sabarimala. Now, the same network is looting its wealth,” he said.
The BJP leader announced that the party will march to the Chief Minister’s residence, Cliff House, on October 8, followed by district-level marches on October 9 and 10. “After that, we will extend the protest to the panchayat-level and eventually make the Secretariat the focal point of our agitation,” Mr. Ramesh said.
He asserted that the money used for the so-called ‘Ayyappa Sangamam’ was not CPI(M)’s party fund but the devotees’ contribution to the Devaswom Board. “The CPI(M) misused temple funds to fill its election coffers. Every rupee offered by devotees will be accounted for,” he said.
Published – October 07, 2025 08:33 pm IST
