Actor-director Prathap Pothen recalls Mani’s humble beginning

Thiruvananthapuram: Actor-director Prathap Pothen has come out with a Facebook post critical of former finance minister K. M. Mani's past. The post pointed to the role of the actor's father, Kulathunkal Pothen, who was one of the persons who funded the formation of Kerala Congress in 1964. Pothen also "remembers how Mani backstabbed" Kerala Congress founder K. M. George.

This was obviously a reference to the events in which Mani ensured he was made a minister instead of Mr George who was the chairman of the party raising the slogan 'one man, one post' in 1975.

It also referred to the fact that his brother, Mohan Kulathunkal, funded Mani when he contested for the first time from Palai in 1965 as the candidate of the newly formed Kerala Congress. It was only a year before a breakaway group of the Congress formed the Kerala Congress. Mr Pothen also pointed out that Mani, who had owned less than one acre of land when he contested the elections, has become a landlord now.

The post says: "Six months ago, I put up a status message about the finance minister of Kerala… K. M. Mani. I got hate mail. I was abused because this man who sold out thirteen budgets of Kerala and a man who owned less than an acre of land when he started in politics today is one of the richest landlords of Kerala.

He was Brutus. He stabbed the founder member K. M. George in the back for power. How do I know? Because the Kerala Congress was founded with the money of my father. My brother gave him the money to contest the election for the first time.... karma... Today, he resigns in disgrace .... confined to the dust heap of Kerala politics ... The Bishop of Palai will do the burial... Remember that truth always triumphs. Ave Maria..."

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