Mani threatens to withdraw support to UDF if forced to quit

Amidst the clamour for Kerala minister KM Mani’s resignation over the bar bribery scandal and media reports that he has threatened to withdraw support of his nine MLAs to the United Democratic Front government if forced to resign, his party Kerala Congress-M on Tuesday said it saw no reason for their leader to step down.

In a startling claim, party leader and government chief whip Thomas Unniyadan said that the Kerala high court order on Monday, which cleared the decks for further investigation against Mani in the case, was, in fact, not against the leader but in his favour. Unniyadan said the court expunged the Vigilance Court observations against the state finance minister.

"There is not even a word against Mani in the verdict. Why should he resign? The high court verdict is favouring the minister. Has the court said anywhere that Mani was guilty? And, so, there is no reason for him to resign," he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, adding that the verdict had been wrongly interpreted by the media.

Referring to the calls in various quarters for Mani to step down, including demands within the Congress itself, he countered that "no one had asked Mani to resign".

Asked if the Kerala Congress-M was divided over the issue, Unniyadan said the party was united and ‘solidly’ behind its leader.

According to reports, a section within the KC-M, led by Irrigation Minister P J Joseph and two MLAs loyal to him -- T U Kuruvilla and Mons Joseph -- were of the opinion that Mani should step down.

Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty, leader of Indian Union Muslim League, another key ally of the Congress-led ruling UDF, said the leaders met on Tuesday at the residence of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and discussed the issue.

Earlier, there were reported that Mani will withdraw his ministers and positions his party got in the government if he is forced to resign from the government by the Congress.

Meanwhile, Congress mouthpiece Veekshanam, in a hard-hitting editorial on Tuesday, said that Mani's resignation was 'inevitable'.

The KC-M stand has pushed the UDF into yet another crisis, days after its civic poll drubbing and in light of the high court's adverse remarks against Mani on Monday, as the coalition is bracing for assembly elections next year in the state.

Also, the opposition Left Democratic Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist on Tuesday decided to intensify its agitation to put pressure on Mani to resign.

According to LDF leaders, they will not allow Mani to move freely in the state but block him.

Mani’s stand was a challenge to the people and reflected his arrogance, they charged.

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.

KC-M rebel George to resign

Kerala Congress-M rebel member of legislative assembly P C George, against whom the party had initiated disqualification proceedings, announced his decision to resign as MLA on Tuesday.

George, who has been at loggerheads with his party supremo and Finance Minister K M Mani and Congress-led ruling United Democratic Front for the past one year, said he would submit his resignation letter to Speaker N Sakthan on November 12.

"I will be a model for Mani. Mani has no right to continue as a minister even for a minute. So I am announcing the resignation," George said on a day when Mani is facing the heat from Congress and UDF partners to resign.