PATHANAMTHITTA: Former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar on Sunday denied allegations linking the 2019 Sabarimala gold plating controversy to members of the then Devaswom Board, and said neither he nor the board did anything illegal during his tenure. He also said he was prepared to face any legal proceedings.
Padmakumar’s response came amid media reports that he and then board members were among those named in an FIR related to the gold plating controversy.
“I have not received any official intimation about an FIR. If there is one, I will respond legally at the appropriate time. The board did not do anything that was unauthorised, against temple customs, or in violation of law,” Padmakumar told reporters.
Alleging that attempts were being made to create misconceptions about the board’s functioning during his tenure, he said, “If the former governing committee has been included in the case, we will face it legally. We have done no wrong. If anyone proves otherwise, I am ready to accept any punishment.”
‘Probe roles of devaswom mins of past 10 years’
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday demanded an investigation into the role of the three devaswom ministers who oversaw temple administration over the past 10 years in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case. He also said that the current Devaswom Board must be included in the list of accused.
Chennithala pointed out that in the Sabarimala gold theft case, the FIR names only the 2019 Devaswom Board as the accused, which is insufficient. “The president and members should be individually named and those who looted the offerings of Ayyappa devotees worldwide must be held accountable regardless of their positions,” he said.
Truth will prevail in missing gold case: Min Vasavan
Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan on Sunday said the state government fully supports the Kerala High Court’s stand on the alleged irregularities in Sabarimala, asserting that a transparent probe would reveal the truth.
He said the government has nothing to conceal and wants every aspect of the controversy to be brought to light through the court-monitored investigation. “The court has directed the SIT to submit a report within six weeks. Everything will come out within that period,” he told reporters here, adding that stringent punishment would be awarded to those found guilty by the SIT.
“The stand of the government and the court is the same,” he said. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan continued to criticise the government over the alleged misappropriation of gold.
