Does Kerala's finance minister have a "show me the money'' obsession?
Going by the level of corruption charges and evidence against KM Mani, Kerala's finance minister, his critics might well spell his name as KM "Money". The audio recording produced by Biju Ramesh, working president of the Kerala bar hotel owners association, in which he speaks to two senior leaders of the UDF in Kerala, has them confirming Mani's "show me the money" obsession. What's worse, both leaders - Balakrishna Pillai of the Kerala Congress (B) and PC George, the government chief whip - have confirmed that the conversations indeed did take place, reportedly in November 2014.
For those not familiar with Kerala politics, both the Kerala Congress (B) and Kerala Congress (M) are allies of the Congress and therefore constituents of the ruling UDF. Pillai is in fact, a founder member of the UDF. George as vice chairman of the party, is number two to Mani in Kerala Congress (M). The content of the telephonic chats which has its roots in the Kerala's liquor policy and the decision to shut down over 400 bars, could leave chief minister Oommen Chandy "high" and dry even though for now, he is putting up a brave front, defending Mani.
Last year, Ramesh had accused Mani of taking a bribe of one crore rupees from him for a favourable decision on reopening of bars in Kerala. Now if you go by the leaked telephonic conversations, the one crore rupees bribe is not the only corruption charge against the finance minister. Pillai is heard telling Ramesh that Mani had taken bribe from gold merchants (Rs 19 crore), rice mill owners (two crore rupees) and bakery association (two crore rupees) for various favours relating to taxes. Pillai also says that he had told Chandy that Mani had taken bribe from bar owners to get their liquor license renewed.
Chandy has denied this, saying he has met Pillai just once after the bar bribe scam erupted and that they did not speak on that occasion. Clearly the conspiracy of silence that seemed to be the glue holding different factions together for the sake of power, is coming apart. Everyone obviously is not speaking the truth. Open blackmail is the flavour of the political season.
George's comment during the telephonic chat with Ramesh is equally damning. He asks Ramesh not to bother about his public posturing of support to Mani. "Being a party leader, I have to support him in the open," he says. A telling comment on the moral depravity in Kerala politics.
The corruption charge levelled by Ramesh was seen as one of the reasons behind the Chandy government watering down its prohibition policy. From a position of making Kerala almost a dry state in ten years, Chandy diluted it by allowing beer and wine parlours.
The brazen manner in which Biju Ramesh has spoken about bribing the state's finance and law minister, shows the lack of a moral fabric in Kerala. Chandy has said "no one can unsettle the Congress government". He forgets Kerala's date with the EVM is just a year away.