VS Achuthanandan and Panniyan Raveendran differ on K.M. Mani bribe issue

Thiruvananthapuram: The differences of opinion between CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and his party colleague Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan on the bar bribery case came into the open on Sunday with the former saying that there was no need for a CBI inquiry into the allegation by an abkari contractor against Finance Minister K.M. Mani while later reiterating his demand for a CBI probe into the issue.

Abkari contractor Biju Ramesh had alleged that Mr Mani had taken Rs 1 crore as bribe from the bar owners. However, Mr Vijayan, who was earlier soft on Mr Mani, tightened his stand seeking the resignation of Mr Mani in the wake of the announcement of the Vigilance probe against him in the bar bribery case.

On Saturday, Mr Vijayan had said that it was Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who stood to gain from the case. Mr Vijayan also wanted Mr Mani to leave his post at the earliest. Otherwise, the Chief Minister should oust him, Mr Vijayan said in a statement. The role of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Excise Minister K. Babu in the bar corruption case should also be probed, Mr Vijayan said.

He said that the CBI had lost its credibility after repeated failures on their part in various cases in the state they probed. The state police had not done that much damage. However, Mr Vijayan said that a Vigilance inquiry was not effective.

Mr Achuthanandan reiterated his demand for CBI probe into the issue. The Vigilance did not have credibility. Moreover, the corruption was a result of high-level conspiracy involving many ministers. Only a high-level inquiry either by the CBI or a judicial inquiry would bring out the truth, Mr Achuthanandan sad. “Mr Chandy is capable of sabotaging laws and administration to retain power,” he said.

CPI state secretary Panniyan Raveendran also demanded that a sitting judge of the Kerala High Court should probe the allegation.