The State unit of the BJP has sought an investigation by a central agency into the misappropriation and violations in temples of Kerala, including the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.
In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, State BJP president, on Thursday requested a central agency investigation into the last 30 years of transactions in devaswom boards and temples under their jurisdiction in the State, in light of the recent disclosures of gold theft from the Sabarimala temple.
He also asked the Home Minister to direct a thorough audit of all devaswom boards by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
The party State unit believed that the recent reports of theft from temples may only be the tip of the iceberg. There were reasons to believe this was going on for decades and represented corrosion and capture of institutions such as devaswom boards by criminal elements. Hence, a thorough investigation and audit were imperative, the letter said.
Although the Kerala High Court had already registered a case and directed the formation of a special investigation team to probe the discrepancies, including the unauthorised removal and restoration of gold-plated artefacts without proper oversight in Sabarimala, as the Kerala Police came under the direct control of the Home Minister, who is also the Chief Minister, an investigation by a central agency was required to restore confidence among the believers, he said.
Published – October 22, 2025 08:58 pm IST
