Kozhikode (Kerala): Union Minister George Kurien said on Saturday that if there is a black money angle to the Sabarimala gold theft case, central agencies may intervene and that Lord Ayyappa will not spare those involved in the irregularities.
Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Minority Affairs, Kurien said that since an FIR has been filed regarding the irregularities, central agencies may intervene as per the law.
He said, “This intervention will not be political. It will be in accordance with the law. I am confident they (the agencies) will do so.” He claimed that all those arrested in connection with the irregularities were atheists because they “went smiling, happy that they had fulfilled their ideological responsibilities.”
Kurien alleged that the CPI(M) leadership looted the gold “to avoid poverty in the party.” He said, “But there is no need to worry, Lord Ayyappa will not spare anyone.”
Kurien was responding to reporters’ questions about the recent arrest of CPI(M) leader and former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A. Padmakumar. Padmakumar was arrested in connection with irregularities in the gold plating of artifacts at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala.
He said the arrest was not surprising. Padmakumar was the TDB president in 2019 when the board seized the gold-plated copper plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the electroplating of the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum). had considered the proposal to give the gold plates to the main accused Unnikrishnan Potty.
Although Padmakumar said that he was not the board president when the gold plates were actually given to Potty, the SIT constituted by the Kerala High Court says that the proposal was processed during his tenure.
In addition to Padmakumar, the SIT has arrested five more people, including the main accused Potty and former TDB president N. Vasu, in two cases related to the disappearance of gold from the doorkeeper idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil.
