Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala shot off a letter to CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury demanding the ouster of power minister M.M. Mani in view of court rejecting his discharge petition in Anchery Baby murder case.
The opposition leader said that a person who had been arraigned in a murder case had no moral grounds to continue in office. It was not appropriate to allow an accused in murder case to continue in Cabinet and the general secretary should intervene in the matter, he said.
Chennithala asked the CPM to walk the talk. It may be recalled that veteran leader V.S. Achuthanandan had also shot of a letter last month seeking Mani’s resignation saying that his continuation would dent the image of LDF Government .
While the Central leadership of the party has not come out with a concrete position on the issue, the state unit has fully backed Mani.
CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan reminded that Mani was an accused even at the time of contesting Assembly elections. This case was registered during the UDF Government’s tenure in 2012. The case was registered in connection with an incident that took place 30 years ago and that too for making a speech.
“Mani was sent to jail for 50 days. High Court gave granted him bail,” Kodiyeri said there was no law which prevented people facing criminal cases from becoming ministers. Many people with criminal cases had occupied the post of ministers in the past.
