The bar owners of Kerala, who have so far stood by the Congress-led UDF Government in the infamous bar bribery scandal pertaining to the allegation that Finance Minister KM Mani had taken Rs1 crore as bribe from them, are in a dilemma: Whether they should continue denying the allegation in order to keep the Government safe or to admit the alleged truth to the Vigilance probing the case.
Contrary to their earlier stand, most of the members of the Kerala Bar Hotels’ Association now feel that there is no need to support Government anymore as it has already betrayed them by closing down all the bars in spite of the promise it had made to them while a minority wants to stand by the Government as they still hope that it may find some way to help them.
Whichever position they take, it will be crucial to the survival of the UDF Government headed by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy which is set to enter the fifth and final year of its tenure. Interestingly Mani is not the only Minister facing bar bribery charge. Excise Minister K Babu, Chandy’s close aide, is accused of taking Rs10 crore as bribe from bar owners. .
So far, only Biju Ramesh, working president of the association and the man who blew the whistle on the bar bribery scam, and his driver Ambili have asserted to the Vigilance that the Finance Minister had taken the bribe. All others like association president D Rajkumar Unni have told the Vigilance that no bribe had been paid to Mani or any other Minister.
It has been this pro-Government position adopted by Unni and others before the Vigilance and the media which has given the Government, Mani and his Kerala Congress (M) party the only weapon to defend themselves – by claiming lack of evidence and witnesses – against the relentless attacks over the issue from the Opposition, the people and the media.
Pressure is now mounting on Unni and other office-bearers from members of the association to admit the “truth” to the Vigilance since they have no obligation to ensure the survival of the Government which had betrayed them.