Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 3 Senior Congress leader and MP Adoor Prakash, on Saturday, raised serious allegations against the Communist Party of India-Marxist Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, demanding a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged links between Brittas and the main accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, Unnikrishnan Potti.
Prakash claimed that Potti and Brittas were in regular contact and said that the nature of their relationship warranted an independent investigation.
According to the Congress MP, phone records indicate that Potti and Brittas had spoken to each other on several occasions.
He demanded that the SIT examine all the call detail records between the two to ascertain the extent and purpose of their communication.
"All phone conversations between them must be scrutinised by the SIT," he said, adding that transparency was essential in a matter of public interest.
Prakash, who is also the convenor of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) also responded to queries surrounding Potti's meeting with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, which has drawn political attention.
He clarified that Potti had met Sonia Gandhi to offer 'prasadam' and that prior permission had been obtained for the meeting.
However, Prakash said he was not aware of who had taken the appointment.
He also added that after arriving in Delhi, Potti had requested him the previous day to accompany him for the meeting.
Prakash said that he agreed to accompany Potti only because the latter was a voter from his Lok Sabha constituency.
He added that he had no prior knowledge that Potti was an offender.
"I was not aware that Potti was involved in serious criminal offences," Prakash said, seeking to distance himself from any controversy surrounding the individual.
The Congress Lok Sabha MP has hit back after being silent for a while and lost his cool when the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on more than one occasion referred to Sonia Gandhi's meeting with Potti alongside Prakash.
Incidentally, journalist-turned-lawmaker Brittas is known as the closest aide of Chief Minister Vijayan.
--IANS
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