Temple theft: BJP seeks central agency investigation

The State unit of the BJP has demanded a probe by a central agency into abuses and violations in Kerala temples, including the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.

In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday, BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar demanded a central inquiry into the last 30 years of transactions in devaswom boards and temples under their jurisdiction in the state in view of recent revelations about gold theft from the Sabarimala temple.

He also asked the Home Minister to direct comprehensive audit of all devaswom boards by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

The State Party unit believed that recent reports of thefts from temples may be just the tip of the iceberg. There were reasons to believe that this had been going on for decades and that institutions such as devaswom boards were being eroded and taken over by criminal elements. The letter stated that a comprehensive investigation and audit was therefore mandatory.

Although the Kerala High Court has already registered a case and directed the setting up of a special investigation team to probe the inconsistencies, including the unauthorized removal of gold-plated artefacts at Sabarimala and their restoration without proper supervision, it said an inquiry should be conducted by a central agency to restore trust among devotees as the Kerala Police comes under the direct control of the Home Minister, who is also the Chief Minister.