THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bar bribe issue continued to rock Assembly with Opposition LDF launching noisy protest demanding Finance Minister K M Mani’s resignation on Monday.
With Opposition members not relenting, deputy speaker N Sakthan was forced to rush through the business including the passing of Kerala Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill on additional revenue mobilisation and the Kerala Municipality (Second Amendment) Bill, in just 30 minutes before adjourning the House for the day.
Though there were suggestions to wind up the current session, UDF legislature party leaders decided to continue till December 18.
Trouble began during question hour with Opposition Deputy Leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan seeking an adjournment motion on the alleged attempts to derail the Vigilance probe against Mr. Mani. But speaker declined the demand, leading to opposition protests.
Earlier, hundreds of workers of opposition LDF took to streets on Monday demanding the resignation of Finance Minister K M Mani against whom a case was registered for allegedly taking bribe from bar owners.
The workers drawn from different parts of Thiruvananthapuram district assembled at various points in city and marched towards Assembly carrying placards against Mani and raising slogans demanding his resignation.
Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan who inaugurated the secretariat march, lashed out at Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for allegedly protecting Mani.
“Either he should resign on his own or Chandy should throw him out of Cabinet. Soon Mani will be handcuffed and land in Poojapura Central Jail,” said the Opposition Leader.
LDF Convenor Vaikom Viswan presided over the public meeting held in connection with the secretariat march. CPI leader K E Ismail, Uzhavoor Vijayan, Ramachandran Kadanapally, V Sivankutty MLA and Mathew T Thomas MLA addressed the meeting.
Similar marches were held in district headquarters across the state demanding Mani’s resignation.
The LDF believes that the Finance Minister had lost moral and ethical right to continue in office in the wake of registration of FIR in bar bribe case.
Moreover, his continuation as Minister would hamper a fair probe into the allegations.
