Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Finance Minister K.M. Mani, facing charges of receiving a Rs.1 crore bribe to re-open the closed bars in the state, will go to jail despite the government’s efforts to shield him, leader of opposition V.S. Achuthanandan said here Monday.
“The law will finally catch up with Mani and he will eventually have to cool his heels in the Poojapura Central Jail (the prison here),” Achuthanandan told a protest march of opposition Left parties here.
“Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala are doing their best to shield him, but it will be futile,” the former chief minister said.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau recently filed a case at a special vigilance court against 81-year-old Mani over allegations that the state bar association gave him a Rs.1 crore bribe to reopen the closed bars.
Whistleblower bar owner Biju Ramesh had said in October that Rs.1 crore was given to Mani as the first instalment of the Rs.5 crore he demanded.
In the Kerala assembly, the day’s session lasted just 27 minutes as the entire Left opposition was up in arms demanding Mani’s ouster from the state cabinet.
The opposition members arrived with banners and placards and despite pleas by Deputy Speaker Sakthan Nadar. Things went out of hand when the opposition members threw placards at the speaker’s dais.
Nadar quickly ran through the listed business of the house and adjourned the house.
Later at a quickly summoned cabinet meeting, the state government decided that it will in no way guillotine the session and it will end as already decided Thursday.
The ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front is meeting later in the day and the Front is expected to extend its full support to Mani.