A shadowy theft at Sabarimala has thrust Kerala BJP into offensive mode, branding the CPI(M)-Congress combine as prime suspects in pilfering the temple’s glittering gold reserves. The incident, unfolding at the abode of Ayyappa, has devotees seething and politicians at war.
State BJP chief K Surendran’s indictment was categorical: ‘This is the price of their secret pact—looting divine offerings.’ Rallying supporters, he called for suspending Devaswom Board officials and handing the case to NIA if terror links surface. BJP flags ignored audit alerts and delayed FIR as evidence of cover-up.
Sabarimala’s gold, amassed from global devotees, embodies spiritual generosity. The heist—detected via weight mismatches—exposed vulnerabilities in storage and monitoring. Pilgrimage season looms, amplifying fears of reputational damage to the eco-spiritual haven.
LDF supremo Pinarayi Vijayan activated high-level probes, deploying cyber experts to trace digital trails. CPI(M) retorts that BJP’s ‘vendetta’ diverts from real issues like poverty. Congress, caught in the crosshair, advocates patience over politics.
Street agitations dot the state, from Pamba to Kochi, with Ayyappa squads vowing temple purification rites. Media leaks suggest insider-outsider collusion, prompting tighter pilgrim screenings. BJP leverages the crisis to revive 2018 temple entry debates, positioning as faith’s guardian.
In Kerala’s chessboard of ideologies, this gold gambit could checkmate rivals. As sleuths sift clues from melted ingots to missing ledgers, public faith hangs by a thread. The resolution will test not just law enforcement, but the resilience of communal harmony in God’s Own Country.