Raising the High Court’s interim findings, Satheesan described the revelations as “shocking”. He alleged that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the managing body of the temple, had compromised the sanctity of the Sabarimala shrine and defrauded millions of devotees by allegedly selling the gold-plated covering of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at a high rate.

“Our strong demand is that the Devaswom Minister must resign immediately. The TDB should be dissolved, and the government must announce these decisions at once,” Satheesan declared.

However, Law Minister P. Rajeeve rejected the demand, stating the government had already welcomed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe ordered by the High Court. He accused the Opposition of refusing to trust the judiciary. “The LoP’s position is that he won’t even accept the Honourable Court,” Rajeeve said, labelling the protest a political drama.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M.B. Rajesh echoed the criticism, claiming that the UDF was afraid of debates, institutions, and judicial scrutiny. “Their protest in the House is proof of that,” he added.