: A host of revenue officials including district collector M.G. Rajamanickam and Additional District Magistrate B. Ramachandran defied the siege laid to the collectorate by the LDF district committee on Wednesday.
They entered the collectorate premises in the wee hours much before the LDF activists had mobilised for the siege demanding the resignation of ministers K.M. Mani, K. Babu and V.K. Ebrahim Kunju for alleged corruption.
With the Chief Minister’s mass contact programme to be held on Thursday, the district administration could hardly afford disruptions to their work.
Later in the day, LDF convener Vaikom Viswan inaugurated the siege. He accused Chief Minister Oommen Chandy of accommodating corruption as a trait. Despite the corruption being out in the open, the Chief Minister was asking for evidence, he said.
Stating that tax arrears had piled up like never before in the State during the tenure of Mr. Mani, he said that this was also part of corruption. People will stop Mr. Mani on the street if attempts to protect him continue, Mr. Viswan said. CPI district secretary P. Raju presided. Former minister K.P. Rajendran, CPI(M) central committee member M.C. Josephine, State committee member C.M. Dinesh Mani, Jose Thettayil and S. Sarma, MLAs, K. Chandran Pillai were among the leaders who spoke.
