The bar bribery issue which has recently rocked the Congress-led
UDF Government in Kerala took a new turn on Monday with a recorded conversion
revealing that two senior leaders of the ruling coalition offered their
support to bar hotel owners to incriminate finance minister K M Mani the
corruption case.
Chairman of Kerala Congress (M), Mani is facing a Vigilance
probe into the allegation that he accepted bribe from bar owners to renew their
liquor license. Adding more trouble for Mani, the released audio claimed that
Mani had pocketed Rs 23 crores from various trade sectors to give them favours,
including lower tax regime.
Bar hotel owners’ association working president Biju Ramesh
released the recovered conversion in which Kerala Congress (B) chairman R
Balakrishna Pillai urging Ramesh not to spare Mani and move the high court
seeking a CBI probe into the bribery issue. “Vigilance’s quick verification
against the minister is a farce. You should not go back on the charges.’’
In another conversion, Kerala Congress vice-chairman and
Government chief whip P C George telling Ramesh that don’t bother about his
deceitful support for Mani in the issue.
During the conversion with Ramesh, Pillai had raised other
corruption charges against Mani saying that the minister had taken bribe from
gold merchants (Rs 19 crore), rice mill owners (Rs 2 crore) and bakery
association (Rs 2 crore) for not increasing their tax. Pillai said he had told
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy that Mani had taken bribe from bar owners to get
their liquor license renewed.
George, in his conversion, said, “doesn’t mind that I might
have said many things publically to protect Mani. Being a party leader, I have
to support him in open.’’ George, who wanted a direct meeting with
Ramesh, said he would reveal more things when he meets him (Ramesh). When Ramesh
pointed that what he his allegation against Mani was true, George was heard
laughing.
The disclosure, embarrassing for the Congress-led UDF
Government, has come after Congress ironed out the differences of opinion
within the party over bar license issue.
Both Pillai and George admitted to their recorded
conversions. Exposed by his secrete move against the party chairman, George
said he tried to meet Ramesh only to save Mani.
However, Chandy evaded the issue. “Nobody can unsettle
the Congress government. I have not met Pillai as he had claimed. We have the
people’s support.’’
Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said Mani should be
sacked from the ministry as the allegation came from two ruling front leaders
who enjoy cabinet rank.
George as chief whip has cabinet rank and Pillai has also
cabinet rank as chairman of State Welfare Corporation for Forward Communities.
For last two months, the bar hotel owners have been exerting
pressure on the The bar bribery issue which has recently rocked the
Congress-led UDF Government in Kerala took a new turn on Monday with a recorded
conversion revealing that two senior leaders of the ruling coalition
offered their support to bar hotel owners to incriminate finance minister K M
Mani the corruption case.
Chairman of Kerala Congress (M), Mani is facing a Vigilance
probe into the allegation that he accepted bribe from bar owners to renew their
liquor license. Adding more trouble for Mani, the released audio claimed that
Mani had pocketed Rs 23 crores from various trade sectors to give them favours,
including lower tax regime.
Bar hotel owners’ association working president Biju Ramesh
released the recovered conversion in which Kerala Congress (B) chairman R
Balakrishna Pillai urging Ramesh not to spare Mani and move the high court
seeking a CBI probe into the bribery issue. “Vigilance’s quick verification
against the minister is a farce. You should not go back on the charges.
In another conversion, Kerala Congress vice-chairman and
Government chief whip P C George telling Ramesh that don’t bother about his
deceitful support for Mani in the issue.
During the conversion with Ramesh, Pillai had raised other
corruption charges against Mani saying that the minister had taken bribe from
gold merchants (Rs 19 crore), rice mill owners (Rs 2 crore) and bakery
association (Rs 2 crore) for not increasing their tax. Pillai said he had told
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy that Mani had taken bribe from bar owners to get
their liquor license renewed.
George, in his conversion, said, “doesn’t mind that I might
have said many things publically to protect Mani. Being a party leader, I have
to support him in open.’’ George, who wanted a direct meeting with
Ramesh, said he would reveal more things when he meets him (Ramesh). When
Ramesh pointed that what he his allegation against Mani was true, George was
heard laughing.
The disclosure, embarrassing for the Congress-led UDF
Government, has come after Congress ironed out the differences of opinion
within the party over bar license issue.
Both Pillai and George admitted to their recorded
conversions. Exposed by his secrete move against the party chairman, George
said he tried to meet Ramesh only to save Mani.
However, Chandy evaded the issue. “Nobody can unsettle
the Congress government. I have not met Pillai as he had claimed. We have the
people’s support.
Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said Mani should be
sacked from the ministry as the allegation came from two ruling front leaders
who enjoy cabinet rank.
George as chief whip has cabinet rank and Pillai has also
cabinet rank as chairman of State Welfare Corporation for Forward Communities.
For last two months, the bar hotel owners have been exerting
pressure on the government to water down its liquor policy, which has closure
of all bars in non-five-star category as its major highlight. As a bullying
tactic, they raised the bribery charge against Mani alleging that he took Rs 1
crore to renew license of 418 bars.
The corruption charge against the minister was one of the
reasons that forced the government to go back on its liquor policy. The
government has now allowed all closed bars to operate as beer and wine
parlours. The bar hotel owners’ petition challenging the government policy is
pending in the high court.
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