Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 9 : In the Sabarimala gold-plating controversy, former Devaswom Minister and MLA Kadakampally Surendran has sent a legal notice to Opposition Leader VD Satheesan regarding a speech he made outside the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Thursday concerning the Sabarimala Temple gold-plating issue and MLA Kadakampally Surendran's alleged involvement in it.
The notice stated, "My client is deeply concerned and aggrieved by the wanton, reckless, and irresponsible speech you made today."
The quoted portions of the speech made by Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan, as per the notice, were, "You stated that the door guardian sculpture in front of the Sabarimala Sreekovil is taken away together with the temple door and other artefacts, and it is sold or made over for which my client is accountable. The entire speech you made is annexed to this notice"
The notice emphasised that the accusations made by the Opposition Leader would damage MLA Kadakampally Surendran's prestige, social standing, and political image.
"The accusation you aired regarding my client is absolutely unfounded, false and malicious. It is deliberately made with the intention to capture high mileage for your speech and performance in the floor of the Assembly. But it is highly damaging for my client with respect to his prestige, social and political image," the notice said.
The notice further stated that the Travancore Devaswom Board is an absolutely autonomous organisation vested with the right to administer incorporated and unincorporated Devaswom and Hindu Religious Endowments and all their properties as per Section 3 of the TCHRI Act. All rights, authority and jurisdiction exercised by the Ruler of Travancore before the 1st day of July, 1949, in respect to Devaswom's and Hindu Religious endowments are directly vested in the Travancore Devaswom Board by virtue of Section 15 of TCHRI Act, thereby meaning that neither the State Government nor any other authority has power to interfere in its administration of temples. This vital provision in the said Act is enacted in consequence of the covenant. Simply saying, the TDB has no obligation to report its activities to the State Government or seek sanction from the Devaswom Department.
The notice added that Opposition Leader Satheesan had made "highly contemptuous imputations" against MLA Kadakampally Surendran without any factual basis.
"My client was the Minister for Devaswoms during the period 2016 to 2021, when he took all efforts to protect the interests of devotees and prosper the assets of Devaswom. My client had no knowledge about the activities of the Devaswom officials in the maintenance, re-erection or gold plating, etc, of the artefacts or fixtures in Sabarimala. He had no occasion to meddle with such activities or come to know of it till recently. Facts being so, you, without any data or substance, deliberately came forward with the highly contemptuous imputations against my client, which is likely to affect his public image," the notice added.
In view of this, MLA Surendran has demanded that the Opposition Leader withdraw his statements and issue a public apology or face criminal prosecution, including a payment of Rs 2 crore in compensation adding that the "allegations are unfounded."