Massive Uproar In Kerala Assembly Over Sabarimala Temple Gold Plating Row

Sabarimala has once again become the epicentre of Kerala's political storm, with the gold-plating controversy surrounding the shrine's sanctum sanctorum taking centre stage just months ahead of the election season.

The issue flared up inside the Assembly on Monday, when the Opposition created a ruckus, forcing Speaker AN Shamseer to cancel the Question Hour and temporarily adjourn the House.

Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan raised the matter at the start of Question Hour, demanding the resignation of the Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan and the Travancore Devaswom Board President PS Prasanth over the alleged disappearance of gold sheets.

However, when the Speaker asked the House to proceed with scheduled business, the Opposition staged a dramatic protest in the well.

Carrying placards and banners with slogans such as "Ayyappan's gold stolen, temple devoured by looters," Opposition MLAs surrounded the Speaker's podium, blocking his view and intensifying the tension. Ministers and members of the ruling front rose from their seats in protest as the situation grew more chaotic.

#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | Opposition creates uproar in the Assembly; members storm into the well of the House with banners, protesting over the Sabarimala gold plating controversy.

(Source: Sabha TV) pic.twitter.com/ubSjIkhBwR

— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2025

Finance Minister KN Balagopal sharply criticised the Opposition's actions, calling the disruption of Question Hour "unprecedented and improper."

Speaker Shamseer too warned that obstructing proceedings amounted to "disrespect towards the people," and directed MLAs to lower their banners. Despite his instructions, the protests continued.

Amid the escalating uproar, the Speaker cancelled Question Hour and adjourned the House briefly.

This is not the first time the matter has rocked the Assembly. Last week, the Opposition had attempted to move an adjournment motion over the controversy, but the Speaker disallowed it, citing the case's pendency before the Kerala High Court.

With Monday's showdown, the Opposition has signalled that it intends to intensify its campaign around the Sabarimala gold-plating controversy.

COURT ORDERS PROBE

The Kerala High Court on Monday directed the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the alleged loss of gold from the gold-plated Dwarapalaka idols at Sabarimala.

The SIT will comprise high-ranking officers directly answerable to the court.

A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and KV Jayakumar ordered the constitution of SIT after the Travancore Devaswom Board Vigilance team submitted an interim report on its preliminary investigation into the matter.

Earlier, the court had directed the TDB Vigilance team to investigate the reduced weight of Dwarapalakas after they were sent to a Chennai-based firm for electroplating, which was sponsored by businessman Unnikrishnan Poty in 2019.