Suspension follows ongoing protests against alleged irregularities in the gold plating of Sabarimala temple idols.
The Kerala Assembly witnessed significant disruption as it suspended three legislators from the Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) on Thursday. This action came amidst ongoing protests concerning alleged irregularities in the gold plating of idols at the Sabarimala temple. Reports indicate that the controversy originated from claims that the gold-plated coverings on the dwarapalaka idols, which serve as guardian deities at the temple, were lighter than previously documented. These concerns were raised during proceedings in the Kerala High Court, where it was revealed that the idols had been re-plated without proper notification to the court.
Opposition parties have accused the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) government of mismanagement and alleged ‘looting’ of temple property. The Assembly’s functioning has been disrupted for four consecutive days due to these protests. The suspension motion for MLAs Roji M John, M Vincent, and Saneesh Kumar Joseph was introduced by state Parliamentary Affairs Minister MB Rajesh, who asserted that the Opposition legislators had crossed a line by injuring watch and ward personnel during the protests.
Minister Rajesh noted that Chief Marshal M Shibu sustained injuries while trying to prevent the legislators from approaching the Speaker’s dias and was scheduled for emergency surgery afterward. The resolution for suspension was passed in the absence of the Opposition, which had boycotted the morning session in protest against the alleged temple irregularities.
Rajesh stated that the Opposition had been disrupting Assembly proceedings since October 6 and had repeatedly violated House rules, contributing to a climate of violence. He pointed out that the legislators had boycotted a meeting convened by Speaker AN Shamseer aimed at creating a more conducive environment for legislative business. Reports suggest that on Wednesday, the Opposition members physically attacked female watch-and-ward personnel and behaved aggressively towards the Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, disregarding Assembly procedures.
The suspensions are effective for the remainder of the ongoing Assembly session, which commenced on September 15 and is set to conclude on Friday. Earlier, on September 9, R Jayakrishnan, the special commissioner for Sabarimala, informed the High Court that the gold-plated copper coverings of the dwarapalaka idols had been removed for renovation without prior notice. Jayakrishnan, appointed to oversee temple affairs, indicated that the gold platings had been detached on September 7 and sent to Chennai for maintenance, a departure from standard practices that typically involve repairs being conducted under supervision at the temple itself.
This move allegedly violated previous court instructions regarding the management of temple idol repairs. The court had mandated that the special commissioner be informed before any such activities occur. The Travancore Devaswom Board, which oversees several Hindu temples in Kerala, had previously authorized a Chennai-based jewelry firm, Smart Creations, to carry out the gold-plating of the dwarapalaka idols in 2019. However, discrepancies emerged regarding the condition of the idols during subsequent maintenance efforts, including the unexplained loss of 4.54 kg of gold.
Following these revelations, the court appointed a former judge, KT Sankaran, to create an inventory of temple valuables and ordered an investigation into alleged malpractice at the temple. Concurrently, the Bharatiya Janata Party organized protest marches across multiple cities, asserting that the ruling CPI-M government was complicit in the alleged misappropriation of temple gold. BJP leaders have called for a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the matter, expressing concerns that the government has remained silent on this issue, which they argue predominantly affects the majority community in the state.
