Bar bribery scandal: Mani should have stepped down, says his party vice-chairman

Kerala Finance Minister KM Mani (Third from Left)

Chinks have developed in the armour of Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani with his party Kerala Congress (M) vice-chairman P C George on Sunday observing that the minister should have quit in the wake of the bar bribery scandal.

George, also chief whip of the Government, told the media in Kottayam that the party has slipped into the hands of sycophants. “The party leaders went by the words of the flatterers. The bribery charge has pushed the party into a deep sea of troubles. Mani should reveal who had precipitated the crisis in the party. The issue would cause loss for the party and the United Democratic Front Government.”

The squabble within the Kerala Congress (M) is a matter of concern for Congress-led UDF which is running on a thin majority in the Assembly. The KC (M) has nine legislators in the UDF which has only 74 members in the 140-strong Assembly.

Sensing the trouble, the Congress is standing behind Mani. Although there have been stray demands from Congress leaders that Mani should quit, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Saturday said the UDF would not abandon Mani. There is no evidence for the allegations against him. There won’t be any decision amounting to scarifying Mani, said Chandy.

On Saturday ahead of a party meeting, George had demanded that the party should make publish its probe into the alleged conspiracy behind the move against Mani. But Mani rejected George’s demand saying that the probe was an internal matter of the party and the report would not be made public. (Mani had earlier indicated that the conspiracy to unseat him was hatched within the UDF).

George, who had kept away from a reception hosted to Mani in his home town Pala on Saturday, said if Mani had quit as the minister soon after the bribery charges came up, he could have proved his innocence and returned to power by this time.

“Mani should explain to the people about the allegations if the party should not face further loss.”

George said although the Kerala Congress groups led by Mani and P J Joseph, Irrigation Minister, had merged into a single party, cracks within the unified party are visible. “Both factions are still sitting apart in discussions. I am forced to reveal this as there is no party forum to discuss these issues,” said George.

The Kerala Congress faction led by Joseph, which had been part of the LDF for several years, had merged with the Mani group and returned to the Congress-led UDF prior to the last Assembly elections in 2011. The Kerala Congress has a long history of splits and is known as a party always prone to split.

Meanwhile, Mani, who on Saturday had asserted that there won’t be any discussion on bar bribery issue in the party, climbed down next day. He said the bribery controversy would be discussed among contemporary issues. “ I have the support of the party. George’s stand is not a matter of serious concern,” said Mani in Kottayam.

Source:: Indian Express