Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP in Kerala stepped up its attack on the Congress over the Sabarimala gold theft case, insisting that a central investigation is essential and alleging that Congress leadership, including Sonia Gandhi, must answer serious questions.

Former BJP state president K. Surendran criticised the ongoing state-level probe, saying it would not uncover the full truth and is being structured to protect politically influential individuals.

Surendran recalled that the Kerala High Court had, at the very beginning, expressed suspicion about possible involvement of notorious idol-smuggling syndicates. He added that later statements by Congress Working Committee member and senior legislator Ramesh Chennithala supported concerns that the stolen gold and artefacts may have entered the international antiquities market.

“What was stolen is invaluable. This is not a local crime but an international idol-smuggling racket,” Surendran said.

The BJP leader placed particular emphasis on what he termed the Congress angle, referring to a photograph of Sonia Gandhi with prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty that surfaced during the course of the investigation.

Surendran said there was initially no reason for suspicion, as such interactions could appear routine. However, he accused senior Congress leaders, including Chennithala and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan, of gradually retreating from their initial positions once the issue gained public traction.

“Why did they step back? Why is there no clear explanation?” he asked.

Criticising Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s remarks on Sonia Gandhi as “political manoeuvring,” Surendran demanded clarity on who introduced the prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty to the Congress leadership.

He further alleged that individuals with close familial links to Sonia Gandhi in Italy are involved in the marketing of antiquities, arguing that this alleged international dimension warrants a thorough investigation by central agencies.

Surendran claimed that Chennithala may not have fully grasped the implications initially but later “entangled himself” by making partial disclosures.

“If he has information, why is he not standing firmly by it?” he asked, accusing the Congress of evasiveness and selective silence.

In a sarcastic remark, Surendran said that if the prevailing narrative is that CPI(M) leaders stole the gold, it may have to be amended to suggest that the Congress facilitated its sale.

“The Congress has an equal stake in this case and will not walk away unscathed,” he said.

Surendran also named former Travancore Devaswom Board member K.P. Shankardas as a key figure who, he alleged, enjoys high-level protection and has so far escaped scrutiny.

He claimed that arrests of prominent individuals took place only under strict court directives and criticised changes made to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) after the questioning of former Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran, alleging that officers sympathetic to the CPM were subsequently inducted.

All these factors, he said, underline the urgent need for a comprehensive investigation by central agencies. IANS