‘I received copper, not gold’: Unnikrishnan Potti denies allegations in Sabarimala gold-plated panel row

Thiruvananthapuram: Dismissing allegations against him regarding the Sabarimala gold-plated panel controversy, Unnikrishnan Potti said that what he received were copper panels, not gold. He claimed that the Devaswom Board records also describe the material as copper, and he has no knowledge of whether they were previously gold-plated. He also emphasised that the panel was never treated as a display item.

“The documents handed over to me mention copper, and even the mahazar (official inventory) lists it as copper. I can only comment based on what I have been given. I only came to know about gold at this stage. The Devaswom Board may have decided to use gold plating either due to the original gold being lost or degraded. That’s not for me to say,” Potti said.

When asked about Devaswom’s allegations that he is misleading and being dishonest, Potti

iy responded, “Everyone is entitled to their opinions about others. Perhaps that’s just how he [the official] sees me.”

Potti also claimed that the gold-plated panel was never taken to actor Jayaram’s house, contrary to the allegations. Jayaram was present at a related event, and to prevent damage, the panel was fixed to a base and transported. He reiterated that it was never displayed as an exhibit.

“If there was any collection of funds, let the authorities take action. Allegations can be raised by both the parties, but that won’t serve any purpose,” he added.

When asked about his political connections, Potti sought to know “Would anyone believe someone has connections with the Chief Minister just by seeing a photo of him standing with the Chief Minister?”

He further claimed that he never filed any complaint claiming the golden peetham (seat) was missing.

When asked why the Sreekovil door was taken to Bengaluru instead of Chennai, Potti explained, “Once a new structure is made and consecrated, it becomes the deity’s. It was placed in a temple where I work in Bengaluru for a day, and later taken to Ilampally temple and then transported as part of an event. The media was present during that occasion as well.”

He alleged that media outlets are misrepresenting facts, and that his lawyer had advised him not to respond through the media to avoid being wrongfully blamed.

“Gold cladding is usually done on-site. What is called electroplating can only be done by a particular company,” he added.