Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar has sounded the alarm over large-scale encroachments and misappropriation of temple land in Kerala, demanding an immediate central investigation. Chandrasekhar claims that nearly 25,000 acres of Devaswom (temple) land in the state have been illegally taken over by individuals closely linked to the ruling government, raising “serious questions over the security of Hindu temple assets.”
Accusing the government-appointed Devaswom Boards of systemic mismanagement and corruption, he said the missing lands were only the latest in a string of disturbing revelations — including gold theft from the Sabarimala shrine and fraud in gold-plating works at major temples.
Chandrasekhar has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking intervention from central agencies and a comprehensive audit of all Devaswom Board assets by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. He asserted that the Kerala Police, being directly controlled by the state’s Home Minister, “cannot be trusted with such sensitive investigations.”
The Kerala High Court has also intervened, ordering the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe discrepancies in temple administration, missing gold, and unauthorized sales or encroachments of vast tracts of temple land. Chandrasekhar warned that public faith in temple institutions is “at grave risk,” insisting that only transparent oversight can restore trust among devotees.
In protest, the Kerala BJP plans a series of demonstrations, including a blockade outside the Chief Minister’s residence, to highlight what it calls “unforgivable and unpardonable” government complicity in the theft and sale of temple assets.
Meanwhile, the Hindu Munnani has drawn parallels between the Kerala scandal and the situation in Tamil Nadu, accusing the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department of being equally negligent. In a statement on 25 October 2025, the organisation said that 25,000 acres of temple land belonging to 23 temples under the Travancore Devaswom Board have gone missing — and compared it to the “tens of thousands of acres” of temple property already untraceable in Tamil Nadu.
25000 ஏக்கர் கோயில் நிலம் மாயம்.
தமிழக இந்துசமய அறநிலையத்துறைக்கும்
கேரளா தேவசம் போர்டுக்கும் போட்டியா?#Sabarimala #devasthanam #aiyappa #கேரளா #அறநிலையத்துறை #dhevasamboard pic.twitter.com/d9qCzOaCPK— Hindu Munnani (@hindumunnani_tn) October 25, 2025
“The Kerala Devaswom Board and Tamil Nadu HR&CE seem to be in a competition to lose more temple land through neglect and corruption,” Hindu Munnani said, calling the ongoing losses a “disturbing pattern of disregard for heritage management.”
The group demanded urgent government intervention to locate, recover, and restore the missing properties and ensure accountability in both states.
With parallel controversies in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Hindu organisations have warned that the issue goes beyond regional politics — reflecting a broader crisis of temple administration and state interference in religious institutions.
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