Thiruvananthapuram: KPCC president V.M Sudheeran on Monday said the recent controversy over the bar bribe issue was part of an attempt to divert the public attention from the UDF government’s achievements.
“The controversy over the bar bribe is intended to divert the public attention from the UDF government’s achievements,” Sudheeran told reporters here.
Biju Ramesh, working President of Kerala Bar Hotels Association, on Friday night had revealed on a TV channel that Finance Minister K.M Mani had demanded bribe to reopen the closed 418 bars.
“Mani had demanded the bribe for re-opening the 418 bars that had remained shut since April this year after the State Government declared them sub-standard,” said Biju.
“I am ready to undergo any lie detection test in this regard. The minister had demanded Rs 5 crore, but we have given him Rs 1 crore, which was delivered at his residence in Kottayam’s Pala. I am ready to give evidence to any investigating agency in this regard,’’ he said.
K. M Mani, a veteran politician and supremo of Kerala Congress (M), a long-time partner of the Congress-led coalition, had rubbished the charge as "baseless".