Kasaragod (Kerala) | Ahead of the assembly elections in Kerala, the Congress-led UDF will undertake a 'puthu yugam' (new era) yatra to highlight alleged shortcomings in the LDF government's administration and present the opposition's vision for the state's future, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan said on Friday.
The yatra will be flagged off from Kumbla this evening and will pass through all 140 Assembly constituencies in the state, he said.
Addressing reporters, Satheesan said issues such as the alleged loss of gold at the Sabarimala temple, the state's mounting fiscal debt, the granting of parole to convicted criminals, and allegations against the CPI(M) regarding misappropriation of funds meant for families of martyrs would be raised during the yatra.
He said around 75 per cent of the month-long programme would focus on explaining the UDF's future plans and development projects for Kerala.
Responding to queries on the Sabarimala gold loss cases, Satheesan said both the opposition and the public were concerned that several accused were being released on statutory bail due to the failure to file charge sheets within the stipulated 90-day period.
"The lost gold has not yet been recovered, and several crucial materials and evidence are yet to be traced. In such circumstances, granting statutory bail could lead to tampering with or destruction of evidence," he said.
He expressed apprehension that the cases could eventually be closed for lack of evidence.
Satheesan said the opposition would no longer seek discussion on the issue in the assembly and was now demanding the resignation of Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan.
"When we sought a discussion in the assembly, permission was denied. Therefore, we are demanding the resignation of the minister. The time for discussions is over," he said.
The Sabarimala gold loss cases relate to the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames at the Lord Ayyappa temple following the replating of the artefacts.
The Kerala High Court constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the cases. A division bench of the High Court, which is monitoring the probe, recently expressed satisfaction with the progress of the investigation.
However, the opposition has continued to allege that the chief minister's office is interfering in the probe and exerting pressure on the SIT.