Prominent Ezhava community leader Vellappally Natesan has raised serious concerns about the presence of "secret groups" allegedly extorting money from wealthy devotees in Devaswom-managed temples across Kerala. These remarks have drawn attention to growing calls for reform and increased scrutiny of temple administration in the state.

Natesan, who serves as general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), alleged that certain Devaswom employees and middlemen are involved in these groups. Without naming specific temples or boards, he underscored the urgency of addressing what he described as "mismanagement" within the Devaswom Boards.

The comments come at a time when the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is facing controversy over the gold-plating of idols at the Sabari

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