THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: UDF convenor and Congress MP Adoor Prakash on Friday admitted that he had met Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, on multiple occasions, but dismissed allegations linking him to the case.
Prakash was speaking to reporters in New Delhi after a photograph showing him with Potty surfaced recently.
He said the controversy was being raised at a time when a political atmosphere favourable to the UDF was emerging in Kerala.
"If anyone is attempting to portray me as a wrong person, the people of Kerala will not buy it. People of Kerala understand and evaluate everything," he said.
Prakash said he first met Potty in 2019 after he was elected as the MP from the Attingal Lok Sabha constituency.
"He invited me to annadhanam at the Sabarimala temple and I took part in it," he said.
He said he later visited Potty's house after the death of his father.
"It is true that I visited his house and I am ready to say it if anyone asks about it," Prakash said.
He also said that he had visited the house of Potty's sister at Venjaramoodu along with KPCC leader Remani Nair.
"I have forgotten the specific purpose of that visit. I went there as these people are from my constituency," he said.
Prakash said he met Potty only in 2019 and was unaware of his background at the time.
He also mentioned an instance in which Potty gifted him a packet during a visit to Bengaluru.
"It contained dates, and I handed it over to someone there," he added.
Denying allegations that he had received any benefit from the accused, Prakash said, "I can categorically say that it was not a share of anything that Potty allegedly stole from Sabarimala."
When asked about the cover seen being handed over by Potty in the photograph, Prakash said it was an invitation related to a function at Potty's sister's house.
He also said he was present when Potty met Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, but denied allegations that he facilitated the meeting.
"As a public person, I attend programmes when people invite me. If I am unable to attend, I visit them later," he said.
Prakash denied claims that he was a frequent visitor to Potty's house and said allegations against him were being raised by some individuals.
When asked whether anyone from within the Congress was behind the allegations, he said, "It can be. mAs someone who has faced such incidents earlier, there could be people within the Congress or outside. But I am not accusing anyone."
Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan also defended Prakash, saying that knowing Potty as a person from the constituency did not link him to the Sabarimala gold loss case.
"What does this have to do with the Sabarimala gold case? The gold loss occurred in 2019 when the LDF was in power," Satheesan said.
He said the allegations against CPI(M) MLA and former minister Kadakampally Surendran, and the meeting with Potty, were different.
"Surendran was the Devaswom minister at that time. No decision at Sabarimala would have been taken by board members without discussing it with him," Satheesan said.
Satheesan also said that several people meet Sonia Gandhi without prior appointments.
"Anyone can come here. Many people meet her every day," he said.