Thiruvananthapuram: Veteran CPI-M leader VS Achuthanandan on Saturday alleged that the head of the erstwhile Travancore Royal Family had attempted to smuggle out precious articles from the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, where huge treasure trove was found in secret vaults recently.
Talking to reporters here, the former chief minister said that family head, Uthradam Thirunal Marathandavarma, was playing a 'double role' by portraying himself to be the protector of the temple wealth while he had attempted to take out the wealth and media should expose it.
Marthandavarma refused to react to Achuthanandan's allegation and said he would comment at an appropriate time.
"Nothing should be said now", Marthadavarma said when reporters sought his reaction to Achuthanandan's charge.
The Marxist leader also alleged that the recent devaprasanam (astrological examination) conducted in the temple was an attempt to scuttle the work by Supreme Court-appointed committees to conduct an inventory of the treasure found in the vaults in the ancient temple.
Huge treasure was found in the vaults of the temple, managed by a trust headed by the erstwhile Royal Family, during an inventory ordered by the Supreme Court.
The apex court has also constituted a committee to scientifically evaluate the treasures found in the temple vaults.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, August 20, 2011, 20:55