On Friday, September 19, 2025, the Congress led UDF boycotted the Kerala Legislative Assembly after Speaker A.N. Shamseer denied an adjournment debate on the reduction in weight of gold copper leaf covering two Sabarimala Ayyappa temple idols.
Speaker Shamseer said the issue falls under judicial purview, rejecting the Rule 50 notice filed by Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, senior Congress legislator.
The Kerala High Court has ordered the TDB Chief Vigilance Officer to investigate a 4 kg discrepancy after the gold plating was sent to Chennai for repairs in 2019, with a report due by September 30.
Opposition members accused the government of concealing the loss of temple gold under the LDF’s watch. In protest, UDF legislators walked out of the Assembly and staged a demonstration at the Assembly gates.
Minister M.B. Rajesh accused the Opposition of spreading inflammatory claims, while Law Minister P. Rajeeve criticized the RSS-backed boycott of the upcoming Global Ayyappa Sanghamam.
