With the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) arriving at the conclusion that there is no evidence to prosecute Finance Minister K.M. Mani in the bar bribery case, the issue appears certain to return to the Assembly causing turmoil as the House resumes its budget session on Monday.
Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan has already declared that he would join those who plan to approach the courts to press for a CBI investigation into the bar bribery allegations and charge-sheeting of Mr. Mani. That would happen only after the VACB submits its report before the court.
The interim would be used by the Opposition to wage a political battle over the issue. The first part of the first session, suspended to facilitate campaigning for the Aruvikkara Assembly by-election, had witnessed unruly scenes with the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) members trying to block Mr. Mani’s entry into the House and indulging in vandalism.
Speaker N. Sakthan has been trying to bring down the temperature in the House by working out a consensus among ruling and Opposition leaders on the cases registered in connection with the incidents in the House. However, now that the VACB concluding that there is no evidence to prosecute Mr. Mani the Speaker’s efforts might suffer a temporary setback.
The matter is also in the Kerala High Court which has sought a response from the State government to a petition seeking a directive to the police to initiate action against the MLAs who had indulged in unruly behaviour in the House March 13.
The House would meet for 22 days on resumption. The Finance Bill and other bills would be taken up on July 22, 27, 29 and 30.
The House will meet for 22 days and spend 13 days to discuss
and approve the Demands for Grants.
