Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Assembly witnessed chaotic scenes on Thursday as the Congress-led Opposition disrupted proceedings over alleged irregularities in the gold-plating of the ‘Dwarapalaka’ idols at the Sabarimala shrine. The uproar centered on claims that the recently gold-plated coverings were lighter than previous ones, sparking concerns raised during high court proceedings.
Tensions escalated when opposition MLAs clashed with the Assembly’s watch-and-ward staff, leading to the hospitalization of the chief marshal. Speaker AN Shamseer briefly adjourned the House, after which the UDF staged a boycott of the ongoing proceedings.
Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan criticized the Speaker for bias and defended the actions of the chief marshal. He demanded accountability for the alleged sale of original idols and called for the resignation of Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan as well as the dissolution of the Travancore Devaswom Board. Satheesan warned that the protest would continue until action was taken.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister MB Rajesh condemned the Opposition’s conduct, asserting that Satheesan appeared to justify the violence. Rajesh also clarified that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had not implicated any individual in his earlier remarks, which had drawn attention for mocking the stature of an opposition MLA during previous disruptions.
Following Thursday’s protests, three UDF MLAs—Roji M John, M Vincent, and Saneesh Kumar Joseph—were suspended for the remainder of the session for repeated violations of Assembly rules. The motion for suspension, moved by Rajesh, was passed in the absence of opposition members who had boycotted the proceedings over the gold-plating issue.
The controversy has continued to disrupt Assembly proceedings since Monday, highlighting the deepening rift between the ruling front and opposition parties over the Sabarimala temple matter.
