The CPM has stepped up its attack on the Congress by circulating photographs of a meeting between Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Unnikrishnan Poti, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case. The party has demanded that the Congress explain how Poti, despite Sonia Gandhi’s high-level security cover, managed to meet her in person and sought details of the interaction.

According to CPM claims, Poti met Sonia Gandhi along with Govardhan, a gold trader from Bellary, and the party has hinted at possible inter-state links behind the visit. The CPM argues that the photographs could not have been taken in a public or crowded setting, asserting that the meeting was a private one held at Sonia Gandhi’s residence.

The Congress, however, has dismissed the allegations, accusing the CPM of reviving old images to deflect attention from its poor performance in the recent local body elections.

The political confrontation has intensified as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) accelerates its probe into the Sabarimala gold theft case. Earlier, allegations had surfaced that inferior metals were used instead of gold and that an international antiquities racket might be involved. While the CPM maintains that Unnikrishnan Poti was brought to Sabarimala during the UDF regime, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan countered that the government is using such claims to sidestep scrutiny amid the ongoing investigation.