Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 2 (IANS) The BJP on Friday intensified its attack on the Congress over the Sabarimala gold theft case, asserting that the controversy cannot be resolved without a probe by central agencies and alleging that the Congress leadership, including Sonia Gandhi, has serious questions to answer.

Former BJP state president K. Surendran said the ongoing state-level investigation would not bring out the truth and was being structured to protect politically influential individuals.

Surendran recalled that the Kerala High Court had, at the very outset, expressed suspicion over the possible involvement of notorious idol-smuggling syndicates.

He said subsequent disclosures by Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and senior legislator Ramesh Chennithala lent credibility to concerns that the stolen gold and artefacts may have entered the international antiquities market.

“What was stolen is invaluable. This is not a local crime but an international idol-smuggling racket,” Surendran said.

The BJP leader placed particular emphasis on what he termed the Congress angle, referring to a photograph of Sonia Gandhi with prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti that surfaced during the course of the investigation.

Surendran said there was initially no reason for suspicion, as such interactions could appear routine. However, he accused senior Congress leaders, including Chennithala and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan, of gradually retreating from their initial positions once the issue gained public traction.

“Why did they step back? Why is there no clear explanation?” he asked.

Criticising Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s remarks on Sonia Gandhi as “political manoeuvring,” Surendran demanded clarity on who introduced the prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti to the Congress leadership.

He further alleged that individuals with close familial links to Sonia Gandhi in Italy are involved in the marketing of antiquities, arguing that this alleged international dimension warrants a thorough investigation by central agencies.

Surendran claimed that Chennithala may not have fully grasped the implications initially but later “entangled himself” by making partial disclosures.

“If he has information, why is he not standing firmly by it?” he asked, accusing the Congress of evasiveness and selective silence.

In a sarcastic remark, Surendran said that if the prevailing narrative is that CPI(M) leaders stole the gold, it may have to be amended to suggest that the Congress facilitated its sale.

“The Congress has an equal stake in this case and will not walk away unscathed,” he said.

Surendran also named former Travancore Devaswom Board member K.P. Shankardas as a key figure who, he alleged, enjoys high-level protection and has so far escaped scrutiny.

He claimed that arrests of prominent individuals took place only under strict court directives and criticised changes made to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) after the questioning of former Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran, alleging that officers sympathetic to the CPI (M) were subsequently inducted.

All these factors, he said, underline the urgent need for a comprehensive investigation by central agencies.

–IANS

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