BJP to organise Sabarimala Samrakshana Deepam on Jan. 14

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will organise protests and awareness campaigns to press its demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe in the gold theft case linked to the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, party State general secretary M.T. Ramesh has said.

At a press conference to detail the decisions of a BJP core committee meeting here on Saturday, Mr. Ramesh said ‘Sabarimala Samrakshana Deepam’ would be lit in all households and important centres in the State on Makaravilakku day on January 14 to raise the demand for a probe that would bring to book all those involved in the theft.

All sections of people interested in preserving the sanctity of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple would be brought together as part of this massive protest, Mr. Ramesh said.

He reiterated that the BJP was of the view that leaders of both the Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front were involved in the theft.

The Enforcement Directorate, he said, was investigating the financial aspect of the theft, but equally important was the corruption angle and the role of “international gold thieves” in the case. A CBI probe was necessary, but the Chief Minister had ruled it out. “Why does the State government fear a CBI probe?” he asked.

The truth should come out, Mr. Ramesh said, hinting at more programmes as part of the protest.

Mr. Ramesh said the core committee meeting concluded that the BJP had succeeded in making huge strides in the local body elections. The meeting also discussed concerted “attempts” by the LDF and the UDF to keep the BJP at bay both in the local body elections and in the elections of panchayat presidents that followed .

“The Congress and the CPI(M) are trying to form a front against the BJP. The latest example of this is the Sabarimala gold theft case,” he alleged.

Mr. Ramesh said Union Home Minister Amit Shah would visit Thiruvananthapuram on January 11. He would address the BJP State leadership meeting and that of party representatives who emerged winners in the local body polls. Preparations for the upcoming Assembly polls would also be discussed at the meeting.

Preliminary discussion on the Assembly elections were held at Saturday’s core committee meeting. The detailed discussions would be held in the presence of Mr. Shah, Mr. Ramesh said.