Kerala Congress (M) chairman K.M. Mani has held his total sway over the party affairs at the steering committee meeting making it clear that there will not be any more organisational meetings to discuss the bar licence bribe allegations.
‘‘It is a closed chapter,’’ Mr. Mani said while briefing the media after the party meeting here on Saturday.
He made it clear that the report of the party-appointed inquiry commission led by C.F. Thomas would not be made public. The committee was constituted only to find out who were behind the conspiracy in the bribery allegations. It was an attempt to weaken the party and the party had to know who were behind it, he said.
He said the official stance of the party on any issue would be declared by him.
In spite of the fact that Mr. Mani himself had initiated a discussion on the bribery case a few days back making it clear that he had no need to stand down even if named in the FIR, the steering committee meeting did not discuss the case at all.
Attempts by party vice chairman and Government Chief Whip P.C. George to bring up the matter did not get support. He had maintained that only a detailed discussion on the issue would help the party to come out strong from the present predicament. He had spoken to the media ahead of the meeting on Saturday making his displeasure over the delay in commencing the meeting which was delayed by over one-and-a-half hours. Such a short period for discussion would be farcical, he told the media.
However, Mr. George’s comments were later countered by Mr. Mani who said it was a serious meeting organised by a serious political party, where serious discussions would take place.
In spite of Mr. George’s attempts to bring up the bar bribery issue, discussions at Saturday’s meeting was dominated by the crisis in the rubber and paddy sectors. Two sub committees were elected to discuss the issue.
Later, Mr. Mani was taken in a motorcade to Pala for a public meeting organised by the UDF declaring its solidarity with him in the bar bribery allegations.
