Copyright thehindu
The day-night blockade organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in front of the Secretariat over the gold ‘theft’ controversy at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple concluded here on Saturday with hundreds laying siege to the Secretariat on Friday night and Saturday. Workers from various districts took control of the road in front of the Secretariat since Friday night, chanting bhajans and hymns of Lord Ayyappa. BJP activists blockaded all three gates of the Secretariat. Senior BJP leaders, including State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar and former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan, were present. Mr. Chandrasekhar, who inaugurated the blockade in front of the Secretariat north gate at 11 a.m., said not only the officials, but Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan was also involved in the gold theft case, and the BJP would not back down until those involved were put in jail. In other temples Four-and-a-half kilos of gold were looted from Sabarimala alone, while ₹25 crore were swindled from the Guruvayur Devaswom. Similarly, properties were looted from Malabar Devaswom and several other temples. “Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan says this is a lapse. This is not a lapse, but an orchestrated looting,” said Mr. Chandrasekhar. He said the special investigation team had evidence against the Devaswom Minister in the gold theft case. The BJP would continue the agitation until the Minister resigns. The Chief Minister should also be ready to disband the Travancore Devaswom Board, he said. He also called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case. It is the mandate of a democratic government to alleviate the pain and anguish of devotees, he said.
