Sabarimala gold case: Accused joined temple under Congress rule, says Kerala minister
MB Rajesh said Unnikrishnan Potti entered Sabarimala in 2004 during KC Venugopal's tenure, alleging Congress silence due to past links
M B Rajesh, the excise minister of Kerala, on Thursday (January 15) said that Unnikrishnan Potti, the primary suspect in the Sabarimala gold-loss cases, initially became connected with the Lord Ayyappa temple in 2004 when K C Venugopal was the state's Devaswom minister.
Kerala Excise Minister M B Rajesh on Thursday (January 15) said that Unnikrishnan Potti, the main accused in the Sabarimala gold loss cases, first became associated with the Lord Ayyappa temple in 2004 when KC Venugopal, general secretary of the Congress, was the state Devaswom minister.
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Speaking to a television channel in Thiruvananthapuram, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader said that is probably the reason why the Congress was no longer raising the Sabarimala issue or singing the parody song 'Pottiye Kettiye' in connection with Potti's entry to the shrine.
The minister further said that another reason behind the Grand-Old Party's alleged silence on the issue was the fact that Potti was able to meet with senior Congress leader and MP Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi.
'Congress no longer talking about issue or Potti'
“Due to all these reasons, the Congress is no longer talking about the issue or Potti,” he said, adding that the prime accused in the Sabarimala case has not entered the home of any leader of the ruling Left Democratic Front.
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Neither the Congress nor Venugopal has responded to the minister's claims.
Bengaluru-based businessman Potti is the main accused in the two cases related to the loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames at the temple.
He is presently in judicial custody.
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Besides him, 11 others have been arrested in the cases, and they include two former Travancore Devaswom Board presidents, two former members of the Board and the chief priest of the Lord Ayyappa shrine, who was arrested by the probing Special Investigation Team last week.
(With agency inputs)