Sabarimala gold scam: Kerala BJP chief demands Minister’s resignation for Disbanding Travancore Devaswom Board, asks for CBI Probe

October 16, 2025

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), alleging it has “degenerated into a broker’s establishment.”

He demanded the immediate disbanding of the Board, the resignation of State Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan, and a central agency probe into the Sabarimala temple gold scam.

‘Massive Act of Looting Under State Government’s Watch’

Speaking at a massive BJP Mahila Morcha protest held in front of the State Secretariat, Chandrasekhar said the theft of 4.5 kg of gold from Sabarimala was “not a minor lapse but a massive act of corruption and looting” that occurred under the watch of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s government.

“We will ask the Union government to hand over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Enforcement Directorate (ED),” he declared.

BJP Mahila Morcha Vows Sustained Protest

State BJP General Secretary Sobha Surendran said the party’s women’s wing will lead a sustained battle against what she termed the “Sabarimala looting” by the Left-led government.

“While Congress leaders debated rituals on television, BJP cadres were on the streets defending the temple traditions,” Surendran asserted.

Protest Rekindles Spirit of Earlier Temple Agitations

State BJP Mahila Morcha President Navya Haridas said the current agitation is a continuation of the earlier struggle to protect Sabarimala’s customs and traditions.
Many women who had faced police cases during the earlier protests were present at the demonstration.

Haridas mocked the state government’s “Ayyappa Sangamam” as a “global empty gathering” and alleged massive misuse of funds collected in the temple’s name.

Prime Accused Taken into Custody Amid Protests

As the BJP’s protest was underway, Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, was taken into custody from his residence in Thiruvananthapuram by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Potti’s counsel, Sasthamangalam Ajith, expressed concern over his client’s whereabouts. “I had informed the SIT Chief that my client was ready to appear for questioning. The Chief said he would inform me, but now no one knows where Potti is. We are waiting to see if he will be produced before any court,” Ajith said.

Background

The Sabarimala gold plating scam involves allegations of large-scale misappropriation and tampering during the gold plating of sacred temple properties. The case has sparked widespread outrage among devotees, with opposition parties demanding accountability from the Devaswom Board and the state government.