Left Democratic Front launches campaign for KM Mani’s ouster

KOCHI: Kerala’s Left Democratic Front has unleashed a major campaign against Finance Minister KM Mani – accused by a bar owner’s office-bearer of accepting Rs 1 crore bribe – by filing a plea in the Kerala High Court seeking a probe on the bribery charges against him and demanding his ouster from the ministry in the assembly.

As the Kerala assembly opened for the year-end session, LDF members came with placards and banners demanding Mani’s resignation.

The opposition asked the government to register an FIR against Mani in the case. The opposition staged a walkout from the assembly as the adjournment motion on the issue was rejected.

CPM deputy leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that Rs 35 lakh was given to Mani on April 2 at the latter’s house in Thiruvananthapuram. Balakrishnan also released the registration number of the car in which the two representatives of the bar owners traveled to Mani’s house. He said that an inquiry based on the mobile towers can bring out their whereabouts of that day. Left Front wanted Mani to be ousted from the ministry if he is did not resign.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that the investigation was progressing as per guidelines set by the Supreme Court. The government will not try to shield anyone in the case. Mani said that the charges against him were baseless and that all decisions in the bar licence issue were taken collectively by the ministry. He alleged that Balakrishnan had a secret pact with bar owners.

LDF convener Vaikkom Viswan filed a plea in the high court seeking a probe against Mani in the bar bribery case and sought an inquiry by a special team.