New Delhi: Amid clamour for Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani's resignation over the bar bribery scandal, Congress on Tuesday ruled out any immediate action insisting that it would be "unfair" as the case against him was still being heard.
"It will be unfair for the right of an accused who cannot be treated as convict or semi-convict," Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters, in reply to a volley of questions on the issue.
Noting that the judicial process in the case has re-started and the case is sub-judice, he said the government will abide by the decision of the court. Kerala has a Congress-led United Democratic Front government.
"Everybody has to hold their horses for a few days," he said, underlining the fact that a section of the ruling party in the state wanted Mani to resign. "All are entitled to their view," Singhvi added.
The Congress reaction came close on the heels of Mani's party Kerala Congress M said it saw no reason for their leader to step down, a day after high court cleared the decks for further investigation against him in the case.
An FIR had been filed against Mani last year after a "quick verification" by the vigilance department of the charges levelled by Kerala State Bar Hotel Owners' Association working President Biju Ramesh that the minister had accepted a Rs 1 crore bribe for renewal of licences of more than 400 Indian Made Foreign Liquor bars in the state.
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