After hitting Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani hard with bribery allegation, bar hotel owners have now trained guns at state Congress chief V M Sudheeran - an anti-liquor “crusader” - claiming that they would expose his past links with those associated with alcohol business. Sudheeran has been critisising his own government for watering down the new liquor policy after the bar owners levelled bribery allegations against Mani. He had earlier stated a firm no to “votes and notes” from those who have been associated with liquor business. The bar hotel owners attacked Sudheeran after he had “insulted” a prominent hotelier last week at a public event, saying he would not share dais with a person who has stake in liquor business. While speaking at an event in which hotelier Gokulam Gopalan, also leader of Sree Narayana Dharma Vedi, was also present, Sudheeran had said it was difficult for him to share the dais with the liquor baron. “Such acts would make him answerable to the people,” he added. [related-post] Taken aback by Sudheeran’s comment, Gopalan hit back reminding the Congress leader about his past days with “the bottle”. Goplan said: “At many venues I had shared dais with this saint (Sudheeran). When I started heading the Dharma Vedi, I had abandoned the liquor business. Sudheeran should have cleared such doubts with the Excise Minister.’’ He also said Sudheeran used to take liquor in the past and that he does not have any practical sense and has become a burden for Congress. “The party leaders had denounced his statement,’’ said Gopalan. The bar hotel owners association also rallied behind Gopalan, revealing liquor businesses by Sudheeran’s family members. Association president Raj Kumar Unni asked whether Sudheeran would stop visiting his relatives who have been running liquor business and advised him first ask his kin to quit alcohol businesses. The bar hotel owners dig further into Sudheeran’s past, saying that he had used the car of a liquor businessman in Thrissur for a decade from 1991 to 2001. Substantiating the allegation, businessman Dileep Kumar said Sudheeran had used his car for a few years. Reacting to the allegations, the KPCC chief said he was of the opinion that he relatives should quit liquor business.
