Gold stolen from 'Dwarapalaka' idols before being sent to Chennai: Satheesan

Opposition leader VD Satheesan on Friday alleged a larger controversy surrounding the gold-plating of the Dwarapalaka idols at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum in the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple, claiming that the gold was completely stolen before the panels were sent to Chennai for plating.

Speaking to the media, he said that the panels were taken to Chennai for gold-plating 39 days after being removed from the temple. "The private company that carried out the gold-plating has stated that only copper sheets reached them. This clearly indicates that the gold was stolen from here," he said.

He also questioned the involvement of Unnikrishnan Potty, the sponsor of the work, and his role in the Sabarimala temple. "Who is Unnikrishnan Potty? What has happened behind the scenes of the gold-plating? And what has been done under the guise of sponsorship for this deal?" Satheesan asked. He also alleged that more gold has been lost from the temple.

Satheesan further stated that it was illegal to take the panels out of Sabarimala for any reason. "Gold-plating should have been done within the temple premises. Who authorised taking them outside?" he asked.

He also took a dig at the Travancore Devaswom Board, accusing it of covering up the issue despite being aware of it. He added that the controversy began after 2019, when the panels were removed and sent for plating. "There were no issues from 1998 to 2018. The problem started only after that. The government also has a role in this," he alleged.

Demanding a detailed probe into the incident, Satheesan said strict action must be taken against all those involved.