Sabarimala gold loss case: BJP seeks answers from Sonia Gandhi for meeting with accused

Firing a fresh salvo at the Congress over the Sabarimala gold loss case, Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday (January 25) said that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi should reveal the agenda behind her meeting with Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the case.

Speaking to reporters, the Kerala BJP chief showed a photograph showing Sonia Gandhi with Potty, alleging that the meeting took place when Sonia Gandhi was the Congress president and Oommen Chandy was the Chief Minister of Kerala.

"Sonia Gandhi and the Congress should explain what the agenda behind the meeting was," asked Chandrasekhar. He further alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had held a similar meeting with Potty, but no clear explanation has been given so far.

‘What’s the relation between Sonia and Potty’

He claimed that while the Congress projects organisations such as the Indian Union Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami as secular, it also held meetings in Delhi with a person accused of stealing gold from Sabarimala.

Also Read: Sabarimala gold case: Prime accused Potti gets bail in one case as ED intensifies probe

"What is the relationship between Sonia Gandhi, the Congress and Potty? We have been saying from the beginning that gold theft has been happening for the past 15 years. The photograph of Sonia Gandhi meeting Potty is clear evidence of this," added Chandrasekhar.’

The former Union Minister claimed that not only Vijayan, but also Sonia Gandhi and the Congress, had promoted Potty.

Accuses CM of violating norms

Chandrasekhar accused the Chief Minister of violating the norms by appointing a former Upa Lok Ayukta as Ombudsman for local self-government institutions.

Also Read: Sabarimala gold loss probe: SIT arrests chief priest in fresh case

He said the appointment of former Justice Babu Mathew P Joseph as Ombudsman violated Section 5(3) of the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act, 1999, which bars a former Lok Ayukta or Upa Lok Ayukta from holding any subsequent office of profit under the government.

He said a representation was submitted in this regard to Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Saturday.

‘Governor’s speech replaced in official records’

Chandrasekhar also alleged that the Governor’s speech in the Assembly was replaced in official records with a different version by the CM.

"What is happening here? Is there no system? Has the Constitution been forgotten?" he asked.

He said whatever the Governor speaks should be included in the Assembly records, and replacing it with a paragraph reflecting the government’s interests was wrong.

Chandrasekhar said that CPI(M) MPs speak about protecting the Constitution while such actions are taking place. "For the first time in India, a practice of amending the Governor’s speech has occurred," he claimed.

(With agency inputs)