SNDP leader alleges presence of 'secret groups' in Devaswom temples in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram | Prominent Ezhava community leader Vellappally Natesan has warned against the presence of "secret groups" who extort money from wealthy devotees in prominent Devaswom-managed temples in Kerala and said it is time to end the alleged "mismanagement" of Devaswom Boards there.

Natesan, the general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), alleged that Devaswom employees and middlemen were part of such dubious gangs.

Though he didn't mention any particular temple or any of the five major Devaswom Boards in the state, the community leader's remarks assumed significance in the wake of the ongoing gold-plating row in Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple involving Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).

Unnikrishnan Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman, had sponsored the gold plating of the Dwarapalaka idols and taken them to Chennai in 2019.

The Kerala High Court recently ordered a probe after a Dwarapalaka peedam (pedestal) was recovered from a relative's house following his (Potty) claim that it was missing from Sabarimala.

In a hard-hitting editorial in the latest edition of "Yoganadam", the mouthpiece of the SNDP, the leader said though Devaswom Boards are autonomous bodies, it has only namesake powers and those in its top positions were appointed by the ruling governments in respective periods.

The politics of such persons would be reflected in the administration of the Devaswom Boards as well, he said.

In a secular government, there is no need for a government to intervene in the temple administration, the SNDP leader said, adding that it is time to change such practises.

Mismanagement is happening more under the Devaswom administration than good deeds, he alleged, saying that the government is also forced to shoulder the burden of the criticism of its actions.

Natesan further alleged that the Devaswom Boards have no transparency in handling huge assets in shrines and auditing of invaluable articles is absent in many prominent temples.

He cited the example of Sabarimala Temple and pointed out that some quantities of gold donated by prominent businessman Vijay Mallya years ago were reportedly missing.

He charged that not just in Sabarimala, the situation is the same in other major temples having good revenue, including Guruvayoor, Chottanikkara, Eattumanoor, Vaikom, Tripunithura and so on.

It's time to end the "mismanagement" of Devaswom Boards, he said, adding that there is no need for the government to shoulder the burden of their misdeeds.

He sought to bring professionalism to the administration system of Devaswom Boards.

The Ezhava leader also urged the government to limit their interventions in temple administrations.

While talking to reporters later in the day, Natesan reiterated his stand against the present Devaswom administration and wanted the government to directly oversee the temple affairs to bring more transparency.

He urged the government to set up committees and appoint IAS officers at its helm for the management of temples.

The SNDP leader said civil service officers would show more responsibility than politically appointed persons at the Board.

"So, the government should immediately bring in a system to appointment IAS officers and ensure a transparent administration under its direct control," he added.

Natesan also wanted to utilise crores of rupees of assets in various temple for the development of the country and the well-being of devotees.

Meanwhile, UDF convenor Adoor Prakash demanded a central agency probe into the ongoing row involving Travancore Devaswom Board with regard to gold-plating in Sabarimala.

When such "lootings" had taken place in Sabarimala, it should be found out whether the Devaswom Board authorities or its officials were involved in that, he told reporters here.

"Only a comprehensive probe will bring out the truth. The UDF has the opinion that a justifiable investigation will not happen if the state Crime Branch probes the matter," he said.

The Travancore Devaswom Board on Saturday announced it would approach the Kerala High Court seeking a comprehensive investigation into all matters related to alleged gold plating irregularities at Sabarimala.

TDB, in a statement, said the High Court would be requested to conduct a thorough probe into the alleged decrease in gold at Sabarimala since 1998, when industrialist Vijay Mallya sponsored the plating of the sanctum sanctorum, and into allegations of misuse by certain individuals in the name of sponsorship.

The Congress and the BJP already demanded a CBI probe into the allegations.