THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Legislative Assembly witnessed continued chaos for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, as Opposition MLAs disrupted proceedings demanding the resignation of Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan over alleged irregularities concerning the gold-clad copper plates at the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple.
The protests erupted as soon as Question Hour began, with Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan insisting that the minister step down following revelations of alleged gold theft linked to the temple. Ministers P. Rajeeve and M.B. Rajesh countered the Opposition’s demand, accusing the UDF of disrespecting the judiciary, even after the Kerala High Court ordered a probe into the matter.
Speaker A.N. Shamseer initially attempted to proceed with Question Hour amid the ruckus, but was ultimately forced to suspend it as UDF members shouted slogans, waved placards, and raised banners directly in front of the Speaker's podium.
When the House reconvened during Zero Hour, the Opposition intensified their protest. Slogans such as "Chor hai, Chor hai, LDF Chor hai" (They are thieves, the LDF are thieves) echoed through the Assembly chamber, as MLAs blocked the Speaker's view with banners accusing the government of gold theft.
Raising the High Court's interim findings, Satheesan described the revelations as “shocking”. He alleged that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the managing body of the temple, had compromised the sanctity of the Sabarimala shrine and defrauded millions of devotees by allegedly selling the gold-plated covering of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at a high rate.
“Our strong demand is that the Devaswom Minister must resign immediately. The TDB should be dissolved, and the government must announce these decisions at once,” Satheesan declared.
However, Law Minister P. Rajeeve rejected the demand, stating the government had already welcomed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe ordered by the High Court. He accused the Opposition of refusing to trust the judiciary. “The LoP’s position is that he won’t even accept the Honourable Court,” Rajeeve said, labelling the protest a political drama.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M.B. Rajesh echoed the criticism, claiming that the UDF was afraid of debates, institutions, and judicial scrutiny. “Their protest in the House is proof of that,” he added.
Despite repeated requests from Speaker Shamseer for the Opposition MLAs to return to their seats, the protest continued. “The government is prepared for a debate. The SIT has already been formed. So why are you still protesting?” Shamseer asked.
Eventually, Question Hour was suspended again, and the session paused temporarily. Monday's sitting had also been adjourned due to a similar uproar over the Sabarimala controversy.
On Monday, the Kerala High Court had directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team to probe the alleged irregularities related to the reduced weight of gold cladding on the Dwarapalaka idols at the shrine. The directive came after an interim report from the TDB Vigilance team, which launched a preliminary inquiry following the idols' return from a Chennai-based firm where they were electroplated in 2019, a project sponsored by businessman Unnikrishnan Potty.
Despite the ongoing protest, the Assembly managed to pass three bills and refer two others to the subject committee without debate. Before adjourning the House for the day, the Speaker urged the Opposition to avoid prolonged disruption, stressing that important legislation was pending.
(With inputs from PTI)