A heated confrontation unfolded in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday as a march organized by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha escalated into violent clashes with police. The protest was sparked by accusations of significant irregularities in the gold-plating of the revered Dwarapalaka idols at the Sabarimala temple.
Tensions reached a boiling point when activists attempted to break through the barricades shielding the State Secretariat. Despite initial attempts by police to contain the demonstration, the situation quickly worsened as protesters aggressively scaled the barriers, determined to continue their march.
In response to the escalating defiance, police deployed water cannons, which were met with fierce resistance. Protesters retaliated by throwing sticks and plastic bottles, further intensifying the standoff.
The volatile situation persisted for nearly two hours, marked by repeated attempts from the protesters to advance past the police lines. They held their ground resolutely, even under continuous blasts from the water cannons. Ultimately, law enforcement resorted to lathi charges to disperse the agitated crowd. Several activists sustained injuries during the melee and required immediate medical attention, being transported to hospitals via ambulance.
BJP Chief Demands Resignations
The demonstration was officially inaugurated by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar. He vehemently called for the immediate resignation of Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P.S. Prasanth, accusing them of complicity and wrongdoing in the alleged gold irregularities.
Furthermore, the BJP leader criticized Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his perceived inaction, stating that the Chief Minister’s passive stance on the controversy was deeply offensive to the sentiments of the faithful. Chandrasekhar argued, “He dismissed the gold theft as merely a lapse on the part of the Board. However, the disappearance of four-and-a-half kilograms of gold cannot be simply overlooked as a minor oversight. This is a clear case of outright loot and fraud.”
Meeting with Governor
Following the intense protest, Mr. Chandrasekhar led a delegation of senior BJP leaders to meet with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. They sought the Governor’s direct intervention in addressing the alleged irregularities.
The delegation formally petitioned the Governor to take several actions, including suspending the Travancore Devaswom Board, instructing the government to release all Devaswom vigilance reports from the past three decades, initiating a comprehensive audit of all devaswoms by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and requesting a central agency to investigate financial transactions within devaswoms and temples under their jurisdiction over the last 30 years.