Kerala Finance Minister KM Mani, who is facing bribery allegations, claimed on Tuesday the ‘scam’ is part of a political conspiracy to bring down the Oommen Chandy-led UDF Government in the State.
Mani, who leads the Kerala Congress (Mani), told media persons at Kottayam after a meeting of his party’s top decision-making committee, that the conspirators aimed to topple the government and also to damage his and his party’s reputation.
He alleged that Biju Ramesh, the bar owners’ association leader who claimed that certain bar owners had paid a bribe of ₹1 crore to Mani with a view to getting 418 bars reopened, was backed by certain political forces.
He also said the LDF, which has announced an agitation for the Finance Minister’s resignation, is gunning for the Government. Mani said he has been representing the Palai Assembly constituency for half a century and claimed that his political career has been clean and transparent.