Kochi (Kerala) [India], October 12 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Kerala President K Surendran has accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of lying after the latter alleged that Chembola, a copper plate manuscript, on Sabarimala that is in the possession of self-styled antique dealer Monson Mavunkal was fake.

"During the Sabarimala case, Chief Minister Vijayan had given lots of speeches in all the 14 districts of Kerala. At the time, he had claimed that Sabarimala was not in the hands of the right people and its real owners were different. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders had claimed the authenticity of the manuscript and used it to destroy the Sabarimala Temple. There is no point in lying in the Assembly," Surendran said while speaking to reporters here on Monday.

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The BJP leader further alleged that 'Chembola' was made by Mavunkal, the accused in the fake antiquity case, and the leaders of CPI(M).

Earlier, Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court had sent Monson Mavunkal, a YouTuber and patron of expatriates' association, to judicial custody for three days in the case of allegedly swindling around Rs 4 crore from several persons by claiming possession of centuries-old antiques and providing fake documents.

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The Crime Branch team of Kochi police had arrested Mavunkal at Cherthala in Alappuzha District.

Since Mavunkal was arrested, questions about the authenticity of the manuscript surfaced. The Chembola had attracted widespread attention during the 2018 Sabarimala protests after the Supreme Court ruled that women can pray at the temple, which was opposite to the years-long tradition that barred entry to women aged between 10 to 50 years. (ANI)

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