Action against Babu and Mani politically motivated: Oommen Chandy

Effort to trap Mani in the case again and raid the house of Congress leader Babu, was with political motives and would backfire at the LDF government, said Chandy

Congress leader and former chief minister Oommen Chandy on Monday defended two of his cabinet colleagues in the previous led UDF ministry against whom bribery charges were levelled in the bar scam, saying these are politically motivated and the party will face it legally.

"We will legally face the government that acts politically," he said in a Facebook Post.

"Former ministers K Babu and K M Mani, Chief of Kerala Congress(M) had provided a clear reply for the allegations raised in the First Information Report against them," he said.

The effort to trap Mani in the case again and raid the house of Congress leader Babu, was with political motives and would backfire at the LDF government, he said.

On the allegations of bribery levelled by Kerala State Bar Hotel Owners Association's Biju Ramesh, Chandy said taking steps against public servants on charges levelled by those who had suffered loss due to government decisions was with political intention.

"This will only send out a wrong message and set a bad precedent," he said.

"We welcome any type of probe on allegations. It is the government's responsibility to inform the public the truth.But initiating steps like raids based on unbelievable information is with ulterior motives and that is not good for any government", Chandy said.

Recently, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had conducted raids at the residences of former Kerala Excise Minister Babu and his two daughters in connection with a disproportionate assets case against him.

Babu, who had a controversial stint as Excise Minister in the UDF government, had resigned after a Thrissur vigilance court ordered the Vigilance Department to register an FIR against him in the bar bribery scam. He was later reinstated in the post.

On August 7, Mani-led Kerala Congress(M) had severed its three decades old tie with UDF following differences with the Congress over the issues connected with the bar case.

The party had announced it would keep equal distance from CPI(M)-led LDF, UDF and BJP-headed NDA.