Thiruvananthapuram: Until now, the CPM had kept its distance, repeatedly saying that neither the party nor the government had any connection to the Sabarimala gold theft. The Sabarimala pilgrimage season has begun, and the local body elections are fast approaching. In the midst of this, with district committee member Padmakumar now arrested, the party can no longer continue its usual refrain of denial.

With Vasu’s arrest, the trail of the heist had already reached the top of the Devaswom Board. The party had attempted to avoid giving political weight to Vasu by describing him merely as the former president of the Kulakkada Grama Panchayat and a local leader, and by portraying him simply as a former official when he served as Devaswom Commissioner. This was part of the CPM’s defensive stra

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