Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP legislative group in Kerala on Tuesday called upon the state administration to drop all pending legal actions against devotees involved in the Sabarimala agitations. They simultaneously requested a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the purported gold theft at the hill temple.

In a formal communication addressed to Chief Minister V D Satheesan, BJP legislators Rajeev Chandrasekhar, V Muraleedharan and B B Gopakumar insisted that the thousands of legal cases filed during the protests against women's entry at Sabarimala must be rescinded, labelling them as "unjustified".

Muraleedharan pointed out that despite two Cabinet sessions taking place since the new Chief Minister assumed power, no announcement regarding a central probe has been made. He recalled that Satheesan himself had championed a CBI investigation into the gold theft matter back when he served as the Leader of the Opposition.

According to data shared by the lawmakers, a total of 2,624 cases were registered during the temple agitations, naming 29,119 individuals as accused. While the State is currently reviewing the dismissal of 1,047 minor offences, the BJP leaders argued that sorting these cases into "serious" and "non-serious" categories is highly biased, claiming the previous Left-led government influenced this classification.

They noted that citizens who participated in the demonstrations solely to safeguard centuries-old traditions are now caught up in protracted judicial proceedings, despite having clean records. The MLAs demanded an absolute withdrawal of all agitation-related cases without any arbitrary grouping.

The widespread demonstrations erupted across Kerala following the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that opened temple entry to women of menstruating age. Countless devotees and traditionalist groups took to the streets to oppose the decision, maintaining that it ran counter to the established customs of Lord Ayyappa worship.

Turning to the temple gold heist, the legislators re-emphasised that a CBI probe is essential to guarantee a completely transparent and unbiased investigation. They called for the inquiry to be expanded to scrutinise past ministers, former Travancore Devaswom Board authorities, and other individuals linked to the administration. Furthermore, the MLAs stressed that the investigation must cover the activities of the primary suspect, Unnikrishnan Potti, specifically focusing on his suspected political alignments and international networks previously highlighted by the High Court.

The Sabarimala gold controversy centers on claims of mass financial misconduct and the theft of gold and sacred offerings presented by worshippers. The revelation sparked widespread public outrage, leading to demands for thorough financial audits and accountability regarding how temple properties were managed by administrators.

The BJP delegation urged the state government to take prompt action on both fronts—rescinding the protest cases and approving the CBI inquiry into the gold theft.

PTI