Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru on Wednesday dismissed claims made by Murari Babu, the Devaswom Board official suspended in connection with the gold-plating controversy at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, that the Dwarapalaka idols had been sent for gold plating with his approval.Speaking to the media, Mr. Rajeevaru said he had never authorised anyone to take the sculptures to Chennai for such a work. “When a portion of these sculptures had faded, a written request was submitted for restoration. My permission was given solely for restoration work to be carried out at Sabarimala. At no point did I approve transporting them to Chennai. They were taken for gold plating without my consent, both in the past and now,” he stated.Insisting that the idols were entirely coated with gold, he added that all his communications in this regard clearly affirmed this fact. “Whether in 2019 or today, I have never authorised taking these idols outside for gold plating,” Mr. Rajeevaru asserted.Published - October 08, 2025 06:16 pm IST