Clamour for Mani’s resignation

Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said Finance Minister K M Mani should not continue in office even for a minute in view of the FIR registered against him in connection with bar bribe case.

He said the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau which functioned under state government had found Mani prima facie guilty of corruption. The vigilance had registered a case after quick verification. “Morally and politically Mani should resign forthwith and face the probe,” the CPM leader said.

CPI state secretary Pannyan Raveendran termed the case as “rarest of rare” and demanded Mani’s resignation with immediate effect. “This is the fist time in state's 57 year history that an allegation about a senior minister taking bribe has surfaced, he added.

Meanwhile KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran has rallied behind K. M. Mani in the wake of the FIR registered against him in the bargate scam. He told DC that FIR being registered is a normal routine as per the law, that doesn’t make him a culprit and there is nothing wrong in him continuing as finance minister.

No need to quit: Chennithala

Thiruvananthapuram: Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has said that there was no need for Finance Minister K M Mani to resign as the vigilance registered the case against him even without verifying the veracity of the allegations.

“As per the Supreme Court constitution bench's directive in Lalita Kumari v. Govt. of U.P case it is mandatory to register a first-information-report  in case of an allegation containing a cognizable offence, even without verifying the veracity of the allegation. It was in this context that the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau registered FIR against Mani.  Otherwise the investigation officer may be held liable by the court,” the Home Minister told reporters.