Thursday brought no respite to Kerala’s fractious assembly, where Sabarimala gold heist bail for chief accused Unnikrishnan Potti prolonged uproar into day four. Bail-granted release from jail suspended house activities until February 23, amplifying a saga of alleged temple treasure misappropriation.
SIT’s indictment tags Potti as lead figure among 13 charged across two counts, his bail making him the fourth such beneficiary. Congress opposition, unrelenting, levels charges of governmental interference to shield VIPs, undermining investigative integrity.
House paralysis ensued via opposition protests calling for comprehensive, apolitical probe amid hints of broader conspiracies. Treasury defenders parried with Kerala High Court citations from Wednesday, normalizing bail as procedural—not exonerative—and affirming legal inevitability for the guilty.
They accused foes of public deception by inflating bail’s import, while underscoring SIT’s unflinching progress. Speaker A.N. Shamseer puzzled over opposition’s debate dodge despite ministerial overtures.
Ramesh Chennithala, seasoned legislator, seized the moment: ‘This fulfills our dread of orchestrated hush-up. Government bungling invites our persistence; Potti out means normalcy, paving releases for the rest.’
Enforcement Directorate’s parallel summons loom large. As the case—implicating sacred gold’s unlawful diversion—looms over electoral horizons, polarized stances solidify amid eroding trust and ongoing litigations.