CPI(M) and Congress wrangle over photographs of Sabarimala gold theft case accused with Sonia Gandhi

Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) wrangled on Thursday (December 25, 2025) over the political affiliations of the suspects in the Sabarimala Gold Theft case. 

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan sparked the row on Wednesday (December 24, 2025) by seeking answers from the Congress leadership, showing the prime suspect, Unnikrishnan Potti, and his “accomplice” in the offence, Govardhan, a jeweller from Bellary in Bengaluru, alongside Sonia Gandhi at her high-security residence in Delhi on an unspecified date. 

Mr. Vijayan had said it was unusual that the suspects could breeze into Ms Gandhi’s residence, which is inaccessible to even senior Congress leaders, including Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, who subsequently defected to the BJP, like several others, after “feeling spurned”. 

The photographs showed the current United Democratic Front (UDF) convenor, Adoor Prakash, then Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president, Prayar Gopalakrishnan, Congress leader Anto Antony, MP, alongside Ms Gandhi and the accused persons. Mr Vijayan highlighted the photograph showing Mr Potti tying a thread on Ms Gandhi’s wrist. 

The CPI(M) has weaponised the photographs in the wake of the civic polls, which saw the UDF riding to victory on an emotive campaign powered by provocative parodies implicating the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the Sabarimala gold theft. 

Mr. Prakash stated that he would have distanced himself and also Ms Gandhi if he had known about Mr Potti’s “criminal intentions. 

In contrast, Mr. Prakash alleged that the photographs of Mr Potti with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan showed a close bond. “Mr. Vijayan is seen whispering into Mr Potti’s ear, possibly giving him carte blanche to run Sabarimala affairs, he said. 

The CPI(M) State Secretary said the photograph circulated by Congress, showing Mr Vijayan whispering in Mr Potti’s ear, was “fabricated” using AI to sow doubts among voters. He said the fabricators were on a slippery legal slope and that the law would catch up with them soon. 

Mr. Govindan noted that Mr. Potti was a permanent fixture at Sabarimala during the UDF regime. “The UDF gave free rein to Mr Potti and his likes in Sabarimala, he added.