Thiruvananthapuram, 10 Jan (H.S.):The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that the arrest of Sabarimala Thantri Kandararu Rajeevaru in the Sabarimala gold heist case was aimed at diverting public attention from the real conspirators behind the crime.

BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the arrest raised serious questions and appeared to be a deliberate attempt to shield influential political figures.

Addressing the media in Thiruvananthapuram, Chandrasekhar alleged that a “CPM–Congress vested group” was behind the gold robbery and accused the ruling establishment of selectively targeting religious functionaries while sparing powerful ministers.

“The core question is why no minister has been arrested in this case. If the Thantri can be taken into custody, why is the minister allegedly linked to the conspiracy still untouched?” he asked.

He further claimed that the Sabarimala gold heist involved senior political leaders and that the investigation was being manipulated to protect them.

As part of a protest against both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF), Chandrasekhar announced that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would launch an agitation on January 14, Makara Vilakku day.

He called upon devotees to light “Ayyappa Jyothi” lamps in their homes and localities, describing it as the beginning of a mass protest movement.

Echoing these allegations, BJP leader K Surendran said the actions of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) were “highly suspicious” and suggested that the arrest was politically motivated.

According to him, the move was intended to divert attention from the setback faced by the government in the recent local body elections.

Surendran questioned why Kadakampally Surendran, whose name has repeatedly surfaced in connection with the alleged conspiracy, had not been arrested despite being questioned.

He claimed that Kadakampally was at the centre of the conspiracy and had personal and financial links with the accused.

Surendran also alleged that Unnikrishnan Potti had named both Kadakampally Surendran and former personal staff member Prasanth in connection with the case.

Stressing that the Thantri had no authority to keep temple valuables, Surendran said responsibility for the theft lay with the Travancore Devaswom Board.

He went on to claim that if the case was about violation of customs, the Chief Minister should have been arrested first.

The BJP has demanded an impartial probe into the Sabarimala gold heist, warning that selective arrests would only deepen public distrust in the investigation process.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman