Bar bribe: Kerala CPM goes for the juggular, wants Mani to step down

Mani's party is meeting during the day to discuss the crisis

Pinarayi Vijayan wants Mani to step down and face probe

CPI (M) on Wednesday demanded that Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani, who is facing the allegation that he had taken bribe to renew liquor licence of hotels, should quit. While CPI (M) wanted only a state police probe under court’s eye, its junior ally CPI wanted a judicial probe into the allegation.

As the Opposition Communist parties are divided on the probe into the alleged corruption charges against the leader of the region Christian-dominated party, Left Democratic Front would meet on next Monday. Within the CPI (M) also the issue has brought to fore the rift between veteran leader V S Achuthanandan and party led by Pinarayi Vijayan. Achuthanandan’s demand that CBI should probe into the allegation.

CPI (M) state secretariat met here on Wednesday to take a stand on the bar bribe issue in which CPI (M) had resorted to a soft approach. Achuthanandan had out-rightly demanded CBI probe into the disclosure of a bar hotel owner that Mani had taken a bribe of Rs 1 crore to get liquor licence renewed.

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While Achuthanandan stuck to the demand, party state secretary Vijayan had kept away from hitting at Mani, instead said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and other ministers should face probe. Besides, Vijayan found the allegation was part of a plan to spoil Mani’s intention to become Chief Minister.

After secretariat meeting, Vijayan said a special police team should be formed to probe into the allegation. The investigation should be monitored by the court. Mani should quit from the post while the probe is on. Otherwise, Chandy should remove him, said Vijayan.

Indirectly referring to the demand of Achuthanandan for CBI probe, Vijayan said certain comrades wanted CBI probe. But the party is not interested in CBI probe, as the Supreme Court had described the agency as a caged parrot. Judicial probe would get delayed besides the difficulty in getting the service of a sitting judge. The state police are capable of probing into the allegation, he said.

But, the CPI executive snubbed the CPI (M) stand saying that state police is a tool in the hand of the Congress.

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Meanwhile, Kerala Congress vice-chairman and government chief whip P C George that a powerful party or its leader was behind the allegation against Mani. Earlier, George had blamed Chandy for the bribe charges against Mani.

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