Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 22 : Kerala Parliamentary Affairs Minister MB Rajesh on Thursday accused the Opposition of trying to shield those involved in the Sabarimala gold theft case, asserting that the investigation is being conducted under the supervision of the High Court.
His remarks came amid a protest by United Democratic Front (UDF) members in the Assembly, who disrupted proceedings by holding placards, shouting slogans, and even singing a parody song. Later, LDF MLAs also staged a walkout from the Assembly. The Opposition demanded the resignation of the state Devaswom Minister, VN Vasavan, over the Sabarimala gold theft case.
Speaking in the Assembly, Rajesh said, "These questions should be directed at UDF Convener Adoor Prakash. The question of who stole the gold must be asked of Adoor Prakash. If the answer there is not sufficient, you should go to Delhi and ask at Sonia Gandhi's residence. Why is this drama being staged now? Acting on High Court directions, an investigation is underway into gold thefts dating back to the UDF regime. To protect the thieves, the Opposition leader has been unleashed."
He further termed the prime accused as "thief" and Sonia Gandhi as "beneficiary."
"The thief and the one who received the stolen gold appeared in the same frame, and that frame was with Sonia Gandhi. If you want to see the thief and the beneficiary together, it is alongside Sonia Gandhi. Can you deny that fact?" Rajesh asked.
The Minister criticised attempts by the Opposition to discredit the investigation.
"The investigation is being conducted under the supervision of the High Court. When the Opposition Leader tried to discredit this probe, didn't he receive a setback from the High Court? When attempts were made to malign the SIT, didn't the High Court respond firmly? Having lost in the High Court, we are now seeing an attempt to fight it out in the Assembly. This should be viewed as a move against the High Court itself," he said.
"Those seated there are the same people who once fabricated the story that a concrete flagpole had been destroyed by termites, and who then stole a gold-plated flagpole. The present protest is aimed at protecting those leaders who orchestrated that theft. You may be singing parody songs now, but the day will come when the accused you are trying to shield will be behind bars. We have kept a song ready for that day," Rajesh added.
Addressing the Opposition's behaviour in the Assembly, Rajesh added, "It is the Opposition's right to move an adjournment motion under Rule 50. Instead of exercising that right, the Opposition is now resorting to fear-driven, unparliamentary methods. In parliamentary history, it is extremely rare for an Opposition to shy away from using its right to move an adjournment motion, and this Opposition clearly lacks the courage to do so. They are afraid that if an adjournment motion notice is submitted, the issue will have to be debated. They have come to the House to avoid such a discussion, holding placards. If they have confidence and courage, shouldn't they be prepared for a debate as per the rules?"
"Whenever discussions have been held in this House, the Opposition has chosen to evade them, walking out instead. What we are witnessing now is a shameless display of cowardice. Let the people judge an Opposition that lacks the courage to exercise the rights provided by the Assembly and refuses to use the democratic space available to them," he added.
The Assembly protest comes in the backdrop of revelations surrounding a photograph of Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi with Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused in the Sabarimala theft case. UDF convener and Congress MP Adoor Prakash, also featured in the image, clarified that his involvement was limited to accompanying Potti to a function and later to Sonia Gandhi's residence, stressing that nothing improper occurred.
Meanwhile, legal proceedings continue in the case. The Kerala High Court on Wednesday rejected the bail requests of former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar, former TDB administrative officer B Murari Babu, and jeweller Roddam Pandurangaiah Naga Govardhan in connection with the gold theft investigation.
On Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also intensified its probe, conducting raids at 21 locations across multiple states, including Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, to examine alleged money laundering linked to the misappropriated temple gold.
The Sabarimala gold theft case concerns allegations of the misappropriation of approximately 4.54 kilograms of gold from sacred temple artefacts, including the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames and Dwarapalaka idols. The theft allegedly occurred in 2019 under the pretext of refinishing and re-gold-plating temple structures.
The controversy traces its origins to a 1998 donation by industrialist Vijay Mallya, who had gifted 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper for gold plating and cladding work at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. Subsequent inspections and court-monitored inquiries revealed discrepancies between the donated gold and the quantity allegedly used.