Sabarimala Gold Theft Controversy: How a Spoof Song Impacted Kerala Politics

The opposition has claimed that CPM members were involved in gold smuggling at Sabarimala temple.

A formal complaint has been lodged regarding the viral political parody song 'Pootiye Kettiye', which became immensely popular before Kerala's local body elections. This spoof of the beloved Ayyappa devotional song 'Pottiye Kettiye' was extensively used as a campaign theme by opposition parties, including Congress and BJP, during the recently completed elections.

The parody made a significant impact considering the allegations that gold smuggling at Sabarimala was conducted by Communist Party of India (Marxist) cadres. The song reached a wide audience, including children, and became a favorite for social media content creators.

The lyrics depicted the ruling government as allowing prime suspect Unnikrishnan Potti to ascend the sacred shrine and allegedly substitute gold with copper. Following its release, the song quickly gained popularity across Kerala and transformed into a widespread statement against the Left government.

The song had extensive political repercussions and is commonly believed to have contributed to the CPI(M)-led LDF's defeat in the state. As the song gained traction, numerous politicians incorporated it into their election campaigns, with phrases like "who stole Ayyappa's gold? It was the cadres" becoming a political rallying cry.

The controversy reached national attention when a UDF MP performed the song during a parliamentary session.

On Tuesday, Prasad Kuzhikal, general secretary of the Thiruvabharanam Padha Samraksha Samithi, filed a complaint with the Director General of Police (DGP), asserting that the parody offended the religious sentiments of Ayyappa devotees. The complaint alleged that a sacred devotional song was altered and misused for political advantage.

The DGP has forwarded the complaint to the ADGP, instructing an assessment of whether there are grounds to register a case.

Meanwhile, CPM district secretary Raju Abraham stated that the party would evaluate the election's impact, regardless of whether a complaint was received. State secretary MB Govindan also indicated that a comprehensive assessment would be conducted to identify factors contributing to the party's electoral defeat.

Two high-ranking CPM leaders, A Padmakumar and N Vasu, who managed affairs at the Travancore Devaswom Board, are currently in SIT custody.