BJP holds protests across Kerala over Sabarimala gold row

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organised protest marches to district collectorates in all 14 districts of Kerala on Thursday over the controversy surrounding the alleged reduction in weight of gold-clad plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at Sabarimala.

In several districts, the protests turned violent, prompting police to use water cannons to disperse agitators. In Kasaragod, BJP Mahila Morcha activists scaled police barricades and attempted to enter the district collectorate compound before being arrested and removed.

In Palakkad, a protest led by B. Gopalakrishnan escalated after participants alleged police aggression. Several protestors were subsequently arrested and removed from the site. Demonstrators in Kozhikode and Kochi were blocked by police and dispersed without major incidents.Other districts, including Kollam, Alappuzha, and Thrissur, also witnessed violent confrontations, with multiple protestors taken into custody.On Wednesday, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar led a march to the official residence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Cliff House in Thiruvananthapuram.

The BJP has alleged a 'gold theft' at Sabarimala and accused the CPI(M) of involvement. The party has demanded the resignation of Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran and the dissolution of the current office bearers of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).

The protests mark an escalation in the political dispute surrounding the temple administration and have drawn widespread attention across the state. Police continue to maintain tight security in key locations to prevent further clashes.