Bar bribery case verdict a windfall for LDF

October 30, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 09:41 am IST - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:

The Vigilance court order for further inquiry into the bar bribery charges against Finance Minister K.M. Mani is a windfall for the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF).

The Opposition alliance, which had been rocked by the BJP-SNDP Yogam combine’s bid for community-based vote mobilisation, has found in the bar bribery case verdict an opportunity to take the debate back to political questions that it is comfortable with.

Within hours of the verdict on Thursday morning, LDF convener Vaikom Viswan issued a call to all constituent parties to organise protest marches in all panchayats to press for Mr. Mani’s immediate resignation.

In the capital, the march taken out by the LDF turned violent as Opposition workers tried to force their way into the government Secretariat.

CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said later in the day that the LDF would launch a strong agitation if Mr. Mani does not resign in the light of the verdict.

Campaign issue

“Details of the verdict available now show that there is prima facie evidence against Mani in the bar bribery case. We will certainly push for Mani’s resignation and make it a campaign issue,” CPI State secretary Kanam Rajendran told The Hindu .

The Opposition may have to wait till the local government elections are over to launch a fresh agitation over the issue, but it would utilize the remaining days of the campaign to focus public attention on the bar bribery issue and take it forward when the Assembly meets later in November, he said.

VS lashes out at Chandy

Coming down heavily on Chief Minister Oommen Chandy over his stand on the court verdict in a statement here, Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan accused Mr. Chandy of having come up with false claims and baseless comparisons with the palm oil import case when there was nothing common between the two judgments.

In the palm oil case, the court had ordered arraignment of Mr. Chandy in the case based on additional evidence whereas in the bar bribery case, the investigating officer had clearly stated in his report that there was evidence for Mr. Mani having taken bribe, he pointed out.

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