Thiruvananthapuram: With the "bar bribe row" denting its image, the Congress-led UDF government in Kerala on Sunday asked the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau (VACB) to look into the allegation by bar owners that state Finance Minister and Kerala Congress (M) supremo K M Mani had demanded and taken bribe for favourable decisions.
State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the VACB has been asked to hold a "preliminary inquiry" to ascertain if there was any substance in the allegation based on a letter from Opposition Leader VS Achuthanandan.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, while sticking to his stand that no one would believe that Mani would ask for bribe, said the probe announced by Chennithala was only a "legal procedure".
Seeking to play down the development, senior Kerala Congress (M) leader and Water Resources Minister PJ Joseph claimed that what the Home Minister announced was not a vigilance inquiry, but only an instruction to the investigating agency to "verify" the charge in the light opposition's demand for an inquiry.
Rubbishing suggestions that the CPI(M) state leadership has been "soft" towards Mani, apparently eying a future realignment, party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan demanded the Minister's resignation in view of the probe.
In a statement, he also wanted the probe to cover the alleged role of Chandy and Excise Minister K Babu in the controversy.
Achuthanandan, who on Saturday wrote to Vigilance on the issue, said only a CBI inquiry would help the truth to be brought out.
Biju Ramesh, working President of Kerala Bar Hotels Association, alleged that Mani had taken Rs one crore and demanded Rs five crore on the promise of reopening 418 closed bars from owners.
Reacting to the government move, Ramesh said the vigilance probe would end up as a "farce" and demanded a CBI probe into the issue.
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