Adoor Prakash Dodges Question on How Unnikrishnan Potti Met Sonia Gandhi Amid High Security

Thiruvananthapuram: UDF convener Adoor Prakash MP erupted in anger when questioned about his meeting with Sonia Gandhi alongside Unnikrishnan Potti, the main accused in the Sabarimala gold smuggling case. Photos had emerged showing Adoor Prakash and Antony Antony MP meeting Potti at Sonia Gandhi’s residence.

He was trying to explain the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s question regarding how Potti managed to get an appointment with Sonia Gandhi, which was not even accessible to senior Congress leaders.

Adoor Prakash told the media that he met Unnikrishnan Potti by chance when Potti came to meet him during the 2019 parliamentary elections. Potti mentioned that he was involved in some social welfare activities and requested him to attend a programme. After Adoor Prakash became an MP, Potti came again requesting that he inaugurate the Annadanam at Sabarimala. Later, Potti obtained an appointment to meet Sonia Gandhi and requested Adoor Prakash and others to accompany him on the day of the meeting.'That’s how I went along. I couldn’t realise that a fraudster had come along,' explained Adoor Prakash.

However, the media questioned whether it was believable that Potti, whom he had met only during the 2019 elections, could call and get an appointment with Sonia Gandhi, who is a high-security VIP. Adoor Prakash responded, "What more should I say to convince you? I don’t know who arranged the appointment for Potti; it’s not my job to find out. I didn’t ask Potti or Sonia Gandhi how the appointment was arranged. I cannot now explain how Potti met Sonia Gandhi.'

When asked by the media what kind of social work Potti was involved in at the time of their acquaintance, the UDF convener reacted angrily, saying he could not disclose everything as reported.

The Chief Minister had recently revealed in a press conference the connections of Unnikrishnan Potti and Govardhan, who are arrested in the gold smuggling case, with Congress leaders. He demanded that Adoor Prakash and Antony Antony clarify what kind of relationship they had with Potti and Govardhan, who were called to Sonia Gandhi’s residence despite being accused in the case. The Chief Minister also asked that the opposition leader or former opposition leader respond to how Potti and Govardhan played a key role in major functions at Sabarimala during the UDF government.