Sabarimala gold issue: BJP starts day-night protest outside state secretariat

The BJP has intensified its agitation against the alleged irregularities in gold-plating of 'Dwarapalaka' idols in Sabarimala temple by starting a day-night protest outside the Kerala state secretariat.

BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, other leaders and cadres of the party protested by sitting on the road in front of secretariat and shouting slogans against the government on Friday night.

Chandrasekhar, in a Facebook post, said that the party's day and night struggle "was enough to make the authorities sitting inside the secretariat accept the demands of the people of Kerala and bring those who looted our holy temple to justice".

On Saturday, large number of BJP cadres, including women, wearing raincoats and carrying umbrellas shouted slogans against the government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in front of the secretariat since the wee hours of Saturday.

The protesters, who came from other districts also, sat on the road in front of the secretariat's gate number 2 on tarpaulins, effectively blocking one side of the carriageway.

BJP state general secretary Anoop Antony Joseph said that the government and the chief minister were trying to protect the culprits behind the gold loss from Sabarimala.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing the case on the direction of the Kerala High Court and has already arrested Bengaluru-based businessman Unnikrishnan Potty, who sponsored the gold-plating work, and a former Devaswom administrative officer -- Murari Babu -- in connection with the loss of gold from the Lord Ayyappa shrine.

The loss of gold was revealed when the High Court initiated a plea on its own regarding removal of the Dwarapalaka idols' claddings for gold-plating without informing the court.