Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 23 (NationPress) Upon the resumption of the Kerala Legislative Assembly session on Monday after a short recess, the Congress-led Opposition once again launched a protest concerning the suspected gold theft at Sabarimala.

With the Leader of the Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, unavailable due to a tour, Deputy Leader K. Babu spearheaded the demonstration.

The Opposition raised concerns regarding the collective bail granted to those accused in the gold theft case and reiterated the assertions made by the temple’s Tantri (chief priest).

They contended that the Tantri was arrested for allegedly failing to comply with what they deemed an infringement of temple rituals.

Labeling the action as unwarranted, they chose to boycott the Assembly proceedings.

Expressing their dissent, Opposition members gathered in the Well of the House and shouted slogans, causing a disruption to the day’s initial proceedings.

Speaker A.N. Shamseer opted to swiftly address the scheduled business of the day and subsequently adjourned the House.

Outside the Assembly, senior legislator Ramesh Chennithala criticized the Pinarayi Vijayan government for its “indifferent stance”, claiming that it had facilitated the accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case to obtain bail consecutively.

He pointed out that even the Supreme Court had exercised caution in granting bail, but the ongoing probe suggested possible interference.

He alleged that the chargesheet had not been submitted and that the sanction for prosecution from the Home Department under the Chief Minister was being delayed, allowing the accused to secure bail.

In response, Law Minister P. Rajeev stated that the Opposition’s criticisms were effectively aimed at the High Court, which is overseeing the SIT investigation.

He affirmed that the government had no involvement in the inquiry, adding that whether the Tantri was a complainant or accused was irrelevant to the government.

He characterized the Congress’s position as perilous for secular Kerala, claiming it was intended to support a BJP agenda.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M.B. Rajesh questioned if the Tantri possessed any special privileges and accused both the Congress and the BJP of backing him for political motives.

Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal suggested that the Congress seemed apprehensive that the SIT investigation might reach “10 Janpath”, inciting further protests.

As tensions escalated, ruling members displayed posters featuring a “Sonia and prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti” image.

The Speaker continued with Question Hour amid the chaos, after which the entire Opposition exited the House.

With Assembly elections approaching, indications suggest that the current session, originally slated to continue until the third week of March, may be truncated, culminating in a customary photo session on Tuesday.