Verbal duel between Achutanandan and Mani in Kerala assembly

The Kerala assembly came alive on Tuesday as veteran communist leader V.S. Achuthanandan and Finance Minister K.M. Mani clashed over what is called the bar scam.

Before leading the entire opposition out of the house over the Kerala government protecting Mani, who has been charged by the vigilance department in the bar scam, Leader of Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan quoted from the Bible that all "evil" characters will "go to hell".

"Mani, you have been a corrupt person all through your life and it's not just in the bar scam case that you have done this. There's a saying in the Bible that all people of evil character will go to hell and you will certainly go to hell," said Acuthanandan.

When Achuthanandan was leading the entire opposition out of the house, Mani hit back at him by saying: "Christians believe that there would be an anti-Christ and you are that. You are the anti-Christ, as you play second fiddle to the devil".

The budget session of the assembly had begun on Friday with the governor's address, but the next day, speaker G. Karthikeyan, who was being treated for liver cancer, passed away.

On Monday the assembly paid homage to Karthikeyan and wound up the day and Tuesday was the first day of real action in the floor of the house.

It was former minister and senior CPI-M leader S. Sarma who sought leave for an adjournment motion that Mani should quit as he is an accused in the bar scam.

The Left opposition has been up in arms ever since a whistleblower bar owner Biju Ramesh revealed last year that Mani sought and took the first instalment of a bribe to ensure that bars that had been closed down in line with the new excise policy get the nod for reopening.

But Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that the probe is going forward in the most transparent manner.

"The Kerala High Court and the Lok Ayukta have already given a clean chit to the ongoing vigilance probe which is the best certificate for it. We have nothing to hide and that's why we the government decided to order this probe against one of our cabinet colleagues," said Chennithala.