Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani (Far right) with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at function. (Source: Express archive) Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani (Far right) with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at function. (Source: Express archive)

A day after Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani lamented that he was singled out in the bribery issue, bar hotel owners on Wednesday released another audio clip in which one of them was purportedly heard saying they had given bribe to four Congress ministers and their names would be revealed if the government continued to oppose their interests.

The latest audio clip was released to the media by bar hotel owners association working president Biju Ramesh, who had already taken on Mani, Kerala Congress (M) leader, and shaken the UDF government with his earlier audio clips. The fresh audio clip has come at a time Congress-led government was trying to salvage Mani from the crisis.

Earlier this month, Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan had alleged that Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Excise Minister K Babu too had taken bribe from bar owners. Both ministers had then pooh-poohed the allegation, daring the Opposition to bring evidence.

In the clip, bar hotel owners association state president Rajkumar Unni says the names of four Congress ministers who took money from them should be revealed if the bars were not be reopened.

In a conversion, Unni says the bar hotel owners refrained from revealing the names after the ministers “fell on their feet” pleading not to reveal the names. “But, if we could not reopen the bars, as the president of the association, I would reveal their names one, two, three and four.’’

It may be noted that the Congress government was forced to water down its new liquor policy, which envisaged closure of all bars below five-star category, after bar hotel owners revealed that they had allegedly paid bribe to Mani. Subsequent developments, including a vigilance probe against Mani and agitation demanding his resignation, have dented the image of the government of Oommen Chandy.

The audio released on Wednesday was recorded after the government decided to give beer and wine parlour licence to all eligible applicants among the 418 bars closed since last April.

Bar hotel owners association state president Rajkumar Unni says in the audio, “Now, we would take the beer license and later we would try for bar.”

Then, he assumes a situation — “If we get a favourable verdict from the High Court to reopen all bar hotels and then if the government says it would move an appeal in the Supreme Court, at that moment I would reveal the names of Congress ministers who had taken money from us.’’

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