Kerala Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan on Monday, September 29, 2025, leveled serious accusations of a deep-seated conspiracy, hinting at political motives, surrounding the contentious “theft” of two copper-gold-leaf-covered plaques originally donated to the revered Sabarimala temple in 2019.
Addressing reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Minister Vasavan emphasized that the manner in which these temple artifacts were recovered from the home of the individual who initially “donated” them was utterly perplexing and demanded a comprehensive criminal inquiry.
The controversy began when the donor, Unnikrishnan Potty, publicly claimed on live television that the plaques he offered to the temple in 2019 had vanished.
Minister Vasavan noted that Potty’s sensational allegations, which caused widespread alarm among Ayyappa devotees globally, led the Kerala High Court to mandate an investigation by the Travancore Devaswom Board’s (TDB) Vigilance department.
Remarkably, the Vigilance team successfully retrieved the missing artifacts from the Thiruvananthapuram residence of Mr. Potty’s sister just this past Saturday.
The Minister highlighted that Potty’s initial claims gained significant media attention just before the TDB-organized Global Ayyappa Sanghamam in Pampa on September 20. He further alleged that both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swiftly capitalized on Potty’s now-debunked accusation, using it as a political tool to unfairly depict the TDB as corrupt.
Vasavan criticized the Congress, stating they rushed to politicize Potty’s “false accusation” by requesting an adjournment debate in the Assembly, despite lacking concrete evidence, intending to undermine the TDB’s reputation.
He confirmed that the TDB’s Vigilance wing plans to submit its report to the High Court on Monday, adding that the government awaits the court’s decision before taking further action.
Suspicious Timing Raises Eyebrows
In a related development, TDB president P.S. Prasanth also expressed his strong suspicion regarding the timing of this controversy, suggesting it was orchestrated with clear political motives.
“This shocking, unexpected accusation surfaced just five days before the Sanghamam,” Prasanth noted. “It provided opportune ammunition for both the Congress and BJP, who were already opposing our conference aimed at Sabarimala’s future development.”
Prasanth explained that the donor’s initial accusation had put the TDB in a difficult position until their Vigilance unit successfully located the “missing objects” at a close relative’s home.
He concluded by stating that the TDB is awaiting the High Court’s judgment, after which it plans to pursue a criminal investigation and file a lawsuit against the accuser for libel and civil damages.
