Kerala Assembly’s nonagenarian Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan on Tuesday made the Holy Bible his weapon in the House to attack Finance Minister KM Mani, a devout Catholic facing charges of accepting crores of rupees as bribe from the liquor lobby and selling Budget proposals to interested business sectors for money.
In a fairly long speech in the Assembly into which he brought the Bible and the story of Julius Caesar and Brutus, he quoted The Gospel According to Mathew to advise Mani that he should not lose his soul in the rush to make profits and not to go to Hell as a sinner. Quite expectedly, Mani was offended deeply and exploded at Achuthanandan, calling him Antichrist.
“Aren’t Mani and (Chief Minister) Oommen Chandy believersIJ Should believers commit such hypocritical actsIJ Haven’t they studied the Holy Bible in detailIJ I am tempted to quote Sentence 20 of Chapter 16 from the Gospel According to Mathew: For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soulIJ” Achuthanandan said.
The 92-year-old Marxist leader’s jeering came amidst the discussions on the notice for an adjournment motion moved by CPI(M) legislator S Sarma demanding Mani’s arrest and imprisonment for taking crores of rupees as bribe from the State’s bar owners promising to help them get the licences renewed for their bars closed down on March 31, 2014.
Achuthanandan continued his attack on Mani, chairman of the Kerala Congress (M), a cash-crop farmers’ party backed by the Catholic Church, using more Biblical sayings. “Mr Mani, you should remember the Biblical saying about those who commit hypocrisy and theft: (You will go to Hell) where worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark: 9: 44).
“I can’t even imagine Mr Mani falling into the hell where the worms do not die and the fire is never put out. Therefore Mr Mani, you should free yourself from this grave sin by repenting for the wrongs you have committed and by resigning as Minister … It would be better if Chandy also remembers this because that is what history tells us,” Achuthanandan said.
The nonagenarian leader then tuned to the story of Julius Caesar to attack Mani. likening Mani to Caesar, Achuthanandan said he should remember how Brutus had felled Caesar. “Mani should understand that there are certain Brutuses sitting near him. I can see that a smile is blossoming in the minds of those Brutuses even as I say this,” the Opposition leader said.
An obviously infuriated Mani exploded at the
materialist politician by calling him Antichrist. “When Achuthanandan is attacking me with quotes from Bible, I am reminded of Antichrist. He is the Antichrist… Also there is a saying that a time will come when even the Satan begins to deliver gospels,” Mani said.
Sarma, who moved the notice for the adjournment motion, alleged that what was happening presently in the name of probe in the case pertaining to the charge against Mani was destruction of evidences. He said the Vigilance probe could not bring out the truth as far as Mani, the accused in the case, continued as Minister.
Replying to the notice, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that the investigation in the bar bribe case was progressing in the right direction and that the High Court, the Vigilance court and the lokayukta had been convinced of this. Following this, the Chair refused leave for the adjournment motion and the Opposition walked out of the House protesting against this.