Kerala Police deployed water cannons and teargas to disperse BJYM protesters marching to the Legislative Assembly against the Sabarimala gold theft case. BJYM State President Manu Prasad and several others were injured during the clashes.
BJYM Protest Over Sabarimala Case Turns Violent
Kerala Police on Tuesday deployed water cannons and teargas shells to disperse protesters of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, who marched towards the Legislative Assembly in protest against the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple gold theft case. BJYM state President Manu Prasad was injured during clashes between police and protesters. The BJYM has alleged that the ruling Left-Front government and the Congress were involved in the theft of gold from the Sabarimala Temple.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP Tejasvi Surya alleged that Kerala Police, under the directions of the LDF government, unleashed force on BJP workers "peacefully marching towards the State Legislative Assembly to protest irregularities related to the Sabarimala Gold theft case." Surya took to the social media platform X to post, "This heavy-handed response reflects the LDF government's deeply undemocratic approach, where dissent is met with brutality. The police action left several karyakartas and Swami Ayyappa devotees injured, exposing the Left Govt's intolerance towards peaceful protest."
"This is simply unacceptable," said the BJP leader. Surya was responding to an X post by Rohan Saigal, who wrote, "Police brutality during the protest march of Kerala Yuva Morcha to the Assembly against the CPM-Congress Kurava Sangh for the Sabarimala loot." Saigal said that State president V Manuprasad, state vice-presidents Sruthi Poilur, Manu Mohan, Kadakkavur mandal president Sanju Akhil Nalomkandi, and several activists and workers were seriously injured. Kerala Police, under the directions of the LDF government, unleashed force on @BJP4Keralam karyakartas who were peacefully marching towards the State Legislative Assembly to protest irregularities related to the Sabarimala Gold theft case. This heavy-handed response reflects the… https://t.co/aigtY4bM3o — Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) February 3, 2026
Uproar Inside Kerala Assembly
Earlier in the day, Kerala Legislative Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes as Opposition members led by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition displayed placards, raised slogans and attempted to enter the Speaker's dais as part of their protest against the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in connection with the Sabarimala gold loss cases Opposition leaders, including Congress MLA Anwar Sadat, then attempted to enter the Speaker's chamber.
Visuals from the Assembly saw the house Watch and Ward personnel restrain the opposition members and as the protest intensified, Speaker A N Shamseer got up from his seat and left. The House proceedings were temporarily suspended. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the Opposition for attempting to "deliberately attempting to create trouble" in the Legislative Assembly and urged the House to condemn the "antics."
Speaker Shamsheer also said that the Opposition members' action of barging onto his dais was not right. "It was an extremely unfortunate incident. The Watch and Ward staff did nothing against the opposition. It was the opposition members who attempted to jump onto the Chair," the Kerala Assembly Speaker said. State Education Minister V Sivankutty said, "Before taking the initiative to teach school students, the Speaker should first teach these members (Congress MLAs) the Constitution. Only then can the Assembly function smoothly." Kerala Assembly's official YouTube channel, SABHA TV, later broadcast a segment of the ruckus under the title "Protest held in Legislative Assembly".
Opposition Alleges Conspiracy in Probe
Meanwhile, Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan today alleged that there was a "conspiracy" between the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the cases of alleged gold theft from the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple and the office of the Chief Minister. "...They (SIT officials) are not filing the charge sheet, or even a preliminary charge sheet, before the court. Within 90 days, if the investigating agency does not file the charge sheet, the accused persons will be entitled to statutory bail... There are allegations that the Chief Minister's Office is exerting pressure on the SIT officers and delaying the investigation. Now they are getting an opportunity to obtain bail for all these accused persons," Satheesan told reporters here.
He noted that three people have been granted statutory bail in the case. "... Next week, Unnikrishnan Potti will get bail. Then all the CPM leaders will get bail. This is a conspiracy between the SIT and the office of the Chief Minister, that is why they are getting bail..." the Congress leader alleged.
Further, Satheesan said that MB Rajesh, the state Minister for Local Self-Government, and other ministers were making statements against Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to "appease the BJP," and that there is an "unholy nexus" between the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. "What was the relevance of making such statements in the floor of the Assembly? Only substandard allegations," Satheesan said in response to minister MB Rajesh's remarks on Congress' MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra having tea with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The reference was to the customary tea hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla following the conclusion of the Winter Session of Parliament, which was attended by the MP from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
LDF Government Hits Back at Opposition
During the Assembly session on February 2, Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty had alleged that gold smugglers had visited Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. Kerala Law Minister P Rajeev alleged that Congress was indulging in disrupting the Assembly over the Sabarimala gold case when, in fact, it was under the Congress tenure that the party "allowed the accused in the case to steal the gold".
"The opposition is staging protests to derail the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe. The High Court's remarks have come as a setback to the opposition. The person who first lodged a complaint on behalf of the opposition claiming that the gold was missing, is Unnikrishnan Potti, who is now in jail. Those holding banners and standing in the Assembly are people who know who stole the gold. We are ready for any investigation conducted under the supervision of the High Court."
Meanwhile, the state minister for Local Self Governments, Rural Development, Excise, and Parliamentary Affairs, Rajesh, said, "I have repeatedly made it clear that the Sabarimala investigation is going on under the supervision of the High Court of Kerala. A two-member division bench is closely monitoring the Sabarimala investigation, and the SIT is reporting to this High Court division bench...The allegation opposition is raising is against the High Court. The government has nothing to do with the investigation...They want to avoid any discussion and debate on the Sabarimala case. They are afraid that they will be exposed...There is a passive understanding between Congress and the BJP in Kerala. So if they take part in the budget discussion, they will have to express their opinion about the union budget. They don't want to annoy the BJP at any cost..."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)