Bar scam: Kerala CM tries to pacify KC-M

In a bid to defuse brewing internal trouble in ruling Congress-led UDF, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today said the alliance was unitedly behind Kerala Congress (M) supremo and Finance Minister K M Mani who is facing charges in bar bribery scam case.
"There was nothing political behind registering FIR by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau against Mani. The decision was of the investigating officials and government had never and will never interfere in probe process," Chandy said.
The Chief Minister also made it clear that there would not be any 'two types of justice' in the case and the Front was fully united behind Mani. He was reacting to KC-M terming as 'double standard' Vigilance's decision not to order a quick verification on corruption allegations leveled against three Congress ministers.

Mani had said "Let people decide registering FIR against me is correct or not.
"Mani is the senior most minister in the cabinet and there will not be any circumstance where two types of justice prevails," Chandy told reporters here.
On Mani's remark that registering the case was legally and ethically wrong, Chandy admitted that "it is true that such sentiments prevail among the legal and political circle. However, it is the VACB probe team that finally decides."

Chandy also came down heavily on CPI-M-led LDF Opposition to continue protests over the bar bribery case based on the new charges of hotelier Biju Ramesh and said LDF's objective was to keep the case alive till the next elections.

"UDF will meet this political machinations unitedly," he added.
What angered KC-M was the latest decision of Vigilance not to order any probe against three Congress ministers in the bar bribery case based on a letter submitted by CPI-M veteran and Leader of the Opposition in Assembly V S Achuthanandan.
The letter was rejected by the Vigilance saying the evidence and audio clip enclosed with it were not clear.
Achuthanandan has also demanded a probe against Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, Excise Minister K Babu and Health Minister VS Sivakumar against the background of the corruption allegations raised by Biju Ramesh against them.

Vigilance registered an FIR and ordered for a quick verification against Mani on another letter submitted by Achuthanandan based on Ramesh's allegations. Since the issue came up, Chennithala had maintained that FIR and quick verification was mandatory without going into veracity of the allegations as per a Supreme Court verdict in such cases.