As the Kerala Legislative Assembly prepares to reconvene on October 6, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government finds itself entangled in yet another significant controversy revolving around the revered Sabarimala temple. The latest dispute concerns the alleged improper use of surplus funds from the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for the ‘Global Ayyappa Sangamam’ event held in Pampa last September.
Congress leader and former Home Minister, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, has publicly accused the government of illicitly diverting temple revenues – funds strictly intended for devotees – to finance what he described as a “pre-election political spectacle designed to curry favor with millions of Ayyappa devotees.”
Radhakrishnan further claimed that the government committed perjury by providing false testimony to the High Court. When seeking permission for the Pampa event, the government allegedly assured the court it would not utilize TDB funds for the official gathering. He emphasized that private contractors with close government ties unfairly profited from this “illegal fund diversion.”
CPI(M) Defends Actions, Denies Misconduct
In response, K. Anil Kumar, a State committee member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], clarified that the TDB had indeed informed the court of its intention to return the funds to the board’s treasury within a specified timeframe, pending payments from the event’s sponsors. He firmly stated, “There is no illegality as alleged. Those who oppose Sabarimala’s development are spreading these baseless rumors.”
Concurrently, the government faces intensified scrutiny over accusations of “mismanagement and theft of temple offerings at Sabarimala.” These allegations have left the administration vulnerable to widespread criticism from influential Hindu social organizations and opposition parties just before the upcoming Assembly session.
Vellapally Natesan, the general secretary of the prominent Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, voiced his concerns in an opinion piece for ‘Yoga Nadam’, the organization’s official mouthpiece. He alleged that a deeply entrenched network of corrupt officials, pilferers, and their associates had unchecked authority within Sabarimala, actively exploiting the faith of Ayyappa devotees for their own financial gain.
This development is particularly notable as the SNDP Yogam, along with the Nair Service Society (NSS) – another influential Hindu social body – had recently shown support for the government’s Devaswom policy. This alignment followed the ruling front’s pledge to safeguard the unique traditions of Sabarimala, including the long-standing ban on women of childbearing age entering the temple, and to ensure its evolution into a globally recognized religious destination.
Opposition Demands CBI Investigation
Adoor Prakash, convenor of the United Democratic Front (UDF), announced that the Opposition plans to launch street protests on Monday, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the “Sabarimala temple theft scam,” overseen by the High Court. Prakash expressed the UDF’s profound lack of trust in an investigation conducted by Kerala’s local law enforcement agencies.
Adding to the pressure, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader P.K. Krishnadas declared that thousands of Ayyappa devotees, including women and children, would stage a protest outside Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s official residence, Cliff House in Thiruvananthapuram, also demanding a CBI inquiry.