Kerala’s political temperature soared in the state assembly as the Sabarimala temple gold heist probe triggered unrelenting uproar for three days running. Congress-led UDF MPs unleashed a tirade against the Vijayan government, claiming it’s undermining the investigation to favor insiders ahead of polls.
Leading the charge, V.D. Satheesan orchestrated protests, branding the probe a ‘scripted farce’ to safeguard elites. He ripped into the CM’s quip about assembly fights being ‘mere fun,’ and demanded purging of records containing slurs against Gandhi family stalwarts.
Ruling ministers pushed back hard. M.B. Rajesh nixed expunction requests, avowing clean conduct from LDF ranks. P. Rajeev turned tables, interrogating Congress on prime accused Potti’s purported connections to their top brass—a claim backed by circulated images.
UDF retaliated with equivalent photos implicating Left figures, decrying one-sided attacks. The venomous spat caused serial suspensions of business, paving way for opposition boycott.
Thirteen individuals remain in custody from the case, yet the High Court-appointed SIT’s overdue charge sheet handed bail to three, validating UDF’s sabotage narrative in their view. Authorities insist on procedural integrity under strict judicial watch.
This episode underscores the explosive mix of faith, crime, and politics enveloping Sabarimala, likely to reverberate through election campaigns and test Kerala’s democratic resilience.