Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K. Surendran has alleged that the delay in arresting Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused in the Sabrimala temple gold theft case, was an attempt to shield the top-level culprits.
At a press conference in Thrissur on Saturday, Mr. Surendran claimed that former Devaswom commissioner and former Travancore Devaswom board chairman could be brought under the purview of the probe, but it was doubtful whether the probe would go any further.
“The top leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) cannot claim ignorance – nothing happens without their knowledge,” Mr Surendran said, accusing the government of systematically looting temple wealth across the state.
He also alleged that the Travancore Devaswom Board continued to ignore the investigating officers and cited the recent Sabarimala gilding as evidence.
“Government has no idea how much gold has gone missing. Rushed temple work is only to protect the culprits. How can TDB proceed with gold plating without the Kerala High Court’s knowledge?” he asked.
He demanded that the case be handed over to central agencies and pointed out that even Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan supported such a move.
A range of hijabs
On the Kochi school hijab controversy, Mr Surendran criticized Education Minister V Sivankutty for making “baseless” remarks and urged him to review previous court orders. “The court has made it clear that school authorities have the power to decide on uniforms. They are extremist groups trying to use the hijab issue to create unrest and divide society,” he said.
Published – 18 Oct 2025 19:39 IST
