Kochi, June 19 (TIWN) A day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan went hammer and tongs against new Congress chief K.Sudhakaran, the latter responded with equal fire and termed the left leader as "a mafia", saying it suits him better than anyone.

Addressing the media for an hour here on Saturday, Sudhakaran challenged Vijayan to look into his mafia links, since he has spoken out.  "Vijayan says I am a smuggler and have links with the sand mafia. All of you know the recent gold and dollar smuggling cases which happened with the knowledge of Vijayan. The prime accused in these cases Swapna Suresh for the past few years has been part and parcel of Vijayan's coterie.