Kerala Finance Minister K.M. Mani, who is facing serious corruption charges in connection with the bar licence row, came under increasing pressure from Opposition parties on Friday with Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activists and Thiruvananthapuram municipal corporation councillors staging black flag demonstrations against him in the State secretariat complex and BJP activists taking out a march in Pala, Mr. Mani’s pocket borough in Kottayam district.
Youth activists held a demonstration at Kochi as well, even as ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) tried to throw a security cover around the beleaguered Kerala Congress leader by organising a hartal in Pala supporting Mr. Mani. Police used water cannons to disperse the DYFI activists who marched to one of key district administration offices in the port city.
In Thiruvananthapuram, four DYFI workers entered the Secretariat gates and rushed towards the Durbar Hall where Mr. Mani was engaged in pre-budget consultations with economists and various other stakeholders around 11 a.m. today. The police and the Secretariat security personnel immediately swung into action and removed the DYFI activists. Soon, a few municipal corporation councillors arrived on the scene demanding to meet Mr. Mani. When told that they could not meet the Finance Minister, they pulled out black flags from their pockets and began waving these shouting slogans seeking Mr. Mani’s resignation.
Opposition LDF has called a hartal in Pala constituency.
