Headlines
Would be an usual business to present budget: Mani
Thiruvananthapuram, March 11
Dismissing
threats from Left opposition and BJP, Kerala Finance Minister K.M. Mani
said on Wednesday that it would be an usual business for him to present
his 13th budget in the assembly on March 13.
Mani is facing an
onslaught from the Left and BJP, which have announced that they would
not allow the minister to enter the assembly on Friday to present the
state budget.
"Why should I stay the previous night in the
assembly complex. It will be as always, I will come from my residence
and present my budget. Everything looks bright as this is the 13th
Kerala Assembly and I am presenting my 13th state budget on the 13th of
this month," said Mani.
The CPI-M-led Left opposition has been
up in arms against Mani after a whistleblower bar owner Biju Ramesh
claimed last year that Mani took a bribe of Rs.one crore to open the
closed down bars in the state.
Following this, a vigilance case
was registered against Mani and the Left opposition -- and now the BJP
also -- has announced that he will not be allowed entry to the assembly
complex on Friday to present the state budget.
"I feel sorry for
the youths who will be coming to prevent me from entering the assembly
on Friday morning. They are being misled by the CPI-M leaders," said
Mani.
"The Yuva Morcha (youth wing of the BJP) is also there.
Don't forget BJP is the party which took commission on coffins. I am
surprised it's such people who speak of corruption and morality," said
Mani.
State Congress president V.M. Sudheeran, in defence of the
beleaguered finance minister said: "This defies the basic tenets of
democracy and all those who have announced that they will not allow the
budget to be presented should turn away from this. If one has
differences of opinion with any minister, there are ways by which one
can raise it in the true democratic way, but using force is unheard of
and this does not augur well for democracy."