Devaswom official suspended in Sabarimala missing gold row; Kerala Assembly session disrupted for second day

Deputy devaswom commissioner B Murari Babu suspened on charges of mentioning the gold-plated copper covering just as copper while handing it over to Bengaluru-based Malayali Unnikrishnan Potti in 2019 for gold plating

Thiruvananthapuram: A senior official of the Travancore Devaswom Board was suspended from service on Tuesday in connection with the misappropriation of gold from the gold platings of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.

Deputy devaswom commissioner B Murari Babu was placed under suspension on charges of mentioning the gold-plated copper covering just as copper while handing it over to Bengaluru-based Malayali Unnikrishnan Potti in 2019 for gold plating. Babu was then serving as the administrative officer. A meeting of the devaswom board on Tuesday maintained that it was a serious lapse on the part of the official in mentioning the gold-platted covering of the 'Dwarapalaka' (guardian) idols as copper ones.

Babu told reporters that only a thin gold covering was given to the 'Dwarapalaka' idols on either side of the door of the sanctum sanctorum while the sanctum sanctorum was gold-plated in 1998 with industrialist Vijay Mallya's sponsorship. Hence, it was worn out, and only the copper plate was there. Since the base metal was copper, it was mentioned as copper in the reports.

Meanwhile, there is a strong suspicion that misappropriation took place in the gold plating of the door of the Ayyappa temple, too. Even as the doors were also gold-covered in 1998 with Mallya's sponsorship, in 2019, a new gold-plated door was made for the temple, citing that the door had developed cracks. Unnikrishnan Potti was among those involved in sponsoring the new door.

Opposition stalls Assembly proceedings

Proceedings of the Kerala Legislative Assembly were disrupted for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, with the Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front staging a protest demanding the resignation of Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan.

The Opposition members trooped to the well of the house, shouting slogans and raising placards and banners alleging that the CPI(M)-led left front government was "looting" from the temple. Even as Speaker A N Shamseer suspended the question hour, the Opposition members continued with the protest when the house reconvened. Hence, the Speaker rushed through the procedures and adjourned the house for the day.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan said the misappropriation of the gold plating of the 'dwarapalaka' idols was confirmed by the High Court. The gold plating of the temple could have been sold for an exorbitant price. The CPI(M) should make clear in which rich man's house is the plating now, he said.