Kerala BJP MLAs demand CBI probe into Sabarimala gold scam, case withdrawal
Synopsis
Three Kerala BJP MLAs have written to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan demanding a CBI probe into the Sabarimala gold scam — and pointing out that Satheesan himself had called for exactly that probe when he was in opposition. With 29,119 people accused in 2,624 cases and the government reportedly considering withdrawing only 1,047, the BJP is framing the Congress's partial rollback as a political betrayal of Ayyappa devotees.
Key Takeaways
BJP MLAs Rajeev Chandrasekhar , V.
Muraleedharan , and B.B.
Gopakumar wrote to CM V.D.
Satheesan on 27 May 2025 demanding a CBI probe into the alleged Sabarimala gold scam .
The BJP noted that Satheesan had himself publicly demanded a CBI investigation while serving as Leader of the Opposition , yet no announcement has followed two Cabinet meetings.
According to the letter, 29,119 people are accused in 2,624 cases across Kerala related to the Sabarimala agitation.
The government is reportedly weighing withdrawal of only 1,047 non-serious cases ; the BJP has rejected this as politically motivated.
The probe demand also covers alleged links of prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti with multiple individuals, including Congress leader Sonia Gandhi , and alleged international connections flagged by the High Court .
Three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs in Kerala on Tuesday, 27 May 2025 wrote to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan demanding an immediate Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged Sabarimala gold scam and the unconditional withdrawal of all criminal cases registered against devotees during the Sabarimala agitation. The letter was jointly submitted by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who also serves as the State BJP president, along with MLAs V. Muraleedharan and B.B. Gopakumar.
The CBI Probe Demand
BJP MLA Muraleedharan alleged that Chief Minister Satheesan had himself publicly called for a CBI investigation into the scam during his earlier tenure as Leader of the Opposition, yet no such announcement has been made even after two Cabinet meetings under the new government. Muraleedharan described the continued delay as unjustified.
The BJP leaders also pressed for a comprehensive probe into the alleged conspiracy behind the scam, arguing that the case — involving former Devaswom Board presidents, senior board officials, and two former Devaswom Ministers — requires far deeper scrutiny than what has been initiated so far. The inquiry, they said, should also examine the alleged links of prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti with several individuals, including Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. The alleged international dimensions of the case, which the High Court had flagged previously, were cited as additional grounds for a CBI-level investigation.
Scale of Cases Against Devotees
According to figures cited in the BJP letter, 29,119 people have been named as accused across 2,624 cases registered in Kerala in connection with the Sabarimala protests. The agitation was triggered by the controversy over the entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple, a practice that many devotees opposed as a violation of centuries-old tradition.
Reports indicate the government is currently considering withdrawing only 1,047 non-serious cases — a fraction of the total. The BJP MLAs rejected this approach, arguing that the classification of cases as 'serious' or 'non-serious' was politically motivated and made at the behest of the previous government.
BJP's Argument for Unconditional Withdrawal
The letter stated that ordinary Ayyappa devotees took to the streets to defend long-standing religious customs at Sabarimala, yet thousands were burdened with what the BJP described as false cases. Thousands of young people and ordinary families, the letter said, continue to face repeated court appearances despite having no prior criminal record.
The BJP MLAs warned that unless all cases are withdrawn unconditionally, the public would conclude that the Congress party's assurances on the issue over the past eight years were no more than electoral promises with no genuine intent of fulfilment.
Political Context
The Sabarimala issue has been one of the most polarising political flashpoints in Kerala since the Supreme Court's 2018 verdict permitting women of all ages to enter the shrine. The subsequent protests and the cases registered against demonstrators have remained a live political grievance, particularly for the BJP and Hindu organisations. This is the first Congress-led government in Kerala in nearly a decade, and the handling of these cases is being closely watched as a test of whether the party's opposition-era commitments translate into governance decisions.
Point of View
The party is laying a credibility trap: act on it or be seen as having used the scam as an electoral tool. The partial withdrawal plan — covering fewer than 4% of the accused — is unlikely to defuse that charge. More broadly, the Sabarimala cases represent a governance overhang that no Kerala government has been willing to fully resolve, because any decisive move alienates one side of a deeply polarised electorate. The Congress faces the same dilemma its predecessors did: the numbers are too large to ignore and too politically charged to clear cleanly.
NationPress
13 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sabarimala gold scam?
The Sabarimala gold scam refers to allegations of financial irregularities involving former presidents and senior officials of the Kerala Devaswom Board, which administers the Sabarimala temple. The case also implicates two former Devaswom Ministers, and the High Court has previously flagged alleged international connections linked to the matter.
Why are BJP MLAs demanding a CBI probe now?
The BJP MLAs argue that Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan had publicly demanded a CBI investigation into the scam when he was Leader of the Opposition, but has not acted on it despite holding power for two Cabinet meetings. They say the delay is unjustified and that the case's complexity — including alleged political links and international dimensions — warrants a central agency probe.
How many devotees face cases from the Sabarimala agitation?
According to figures cited in the BJP letter, 29,119 people have been named as accused in 2,624 cases registered across Kerala in connection with the Sabarimala protests. The government is reportedly considering withdrawing only 1,047 non-serious cases, which the BJP has rejected as inadequate.
Who are the BJP MLAs who submitted the letter?
The letter was jointly submitted by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who is also the State BJP president, along with MLAs V. Muraleedharan and B.B. Gopakumar. Muraleedharan has been the primary spokesperson on the issue.
What is the BJP's position on the partial case withdrawal being considered?
The BJP has rejected the government's reported plan to withdraw only 1,047 non-serious cases, arguing that the serious/non-serious classification was politically motivated and imposed by the previous government. The party is demanding unconditional withdrawal of all 2,624 cases against devotees.
