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FILE photo: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy
"Allegations against KM Mani are politically motivated and far from the reality," Mr Chandy said at a press conference today, referring to the Finance Minister, who is a leader of Kerala Congress (M), a key ally.
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The remarks came after allegations by Biju Ramesh, chief of the Kerala Hotels and Bar Association, on a TV show aired on a regional channel last evening that he was asked for a bribe of Rs.5 crore to renew the licenses of the bars. Mr Ramesh further alleged that he paid part of the sum - Rs. 1 crore - to Mr Mani.
"Biju Ramesh never met me or told me any of this," the Chief Minister said today.
The government and bar owners across the state are locked in a legal battle over the new "no-liquor" policy that aims to achie ve complete prohibition in the state in a phased manner. Chief MinisterOommen Chandy had, in August, announced that over 700 bars across the state will have to shut down, adding that only five-star hotels would be allowed to keep serving.
The Kerala High Court had upheld that order on Thursday, asking for the bars to shut down immediately. But it allowed bars in 62 heritage, four-star and five-star hotels to serve liquor.
In an interim relief for bar owners, a division bench of the court yesterday allowed 312 bars to remain open for a month but ordered status quo to be maintained for the 418 bars.
Story First Published: November 01, 2014 12:01 IST
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