Kochi: In a clear rebuke to the former finance minister KM Mani, the Catholic Church in the state has expressed its unhappiness over the delay in him submitting his resignation over the bar bribery scandal. The editorial in the latest issue of Satyadeepam, the official organ of the Syro-Malabar Church, has said that Mr. Mani should have submitted his resignation as soon as the allegations surfaced.
“It could have helped in strengthening his arguments in the matter”, the editorial said.
Recalling precedents set by Lal Bahadur Shastri in stepping down from the cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru as railway minister taking moral responsibility for a rail accident, the editorial pointed out that civil society expected an appropriate attitude from persons entrusted with Constitutional positions.
The editorial also castigated Mr. Mani for not naming his successor in the state cabinet despite having eight MLAs. “There was a possibility for another person as the minister. On an earlier occasion PJ Joseph became the minister when Mr. Mani relinquished the position in connection with another case. Mr. Joseph quit as the minister when Mr. Mani came back after the case was over”, it pointed out.
The editorial ended with the words of Pope Francis asking politicians to remain committed to honesty and common good.
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