Kerala's political landscape is once again in upheaval following the emergence of an audio clip implicating a bar owners' union leader in a bribery scandal. The audio, purportedly featuring Animon, the president of the Idukki chapter of the Kerala Hotel Association and vice president of the state's bar hotel owners' apex body, calls for each of the state's approximately 900 bar owners to contribute Rs 2.50 lakh. The funds, he claimed, were needed to secure favorable liquor policies for the upcoming year.
In the wake of this revelation, KPCC President K Sudhakaran has demanded the resignation of Excise Minister M B Rajesh. Sudhakaran alleges that the current administration, led by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is mired in corruption.
Minister Rajesh, however, dismissed these allegations, vowing to confront his critics head-on in the upcoming Assembly session. He highlighted the LDF government's stringent measures against bar irregularities, including raising the bar license fee by Rs 5 lakh in the previous year and imposing fines and suspensions on numerous establishments. "Comparisons between the old UDF government and the current LDF regime are misplaced. We have maintained strict oversight, unlike our predecessors," Rajesh asserted, pointing out that 52 bars have faced legal action in the past six months, with 30 licenses suspended.
The scandal has also drawn comments from veteran Congress leader and former minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who accused the Vijayan government of being influenced by liquor traders.
The controversial audio message, which surfaced amid the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections, suggests that bar owners are expecting significant relaxations in the new liquor policy, including lifting monthly dry days and extending sale hours.
Animon claimed he sent the audio message at the behest of V Sunil Kumar, the state president of the Association. However, Sunil Kumar has denied any involvement. The fallout from this scandal mirrors a similar incident from the previous decade when an audio clip led to the resignation of then Excise Minister K M Mani during the UDF government, following intense protests led by Pinarayi Vijayan, who now heads the current LDF administration.
As political tensions rise, the state's assembly session promises to be contentious, with the opposition poised to leverage the scandal to challenge the government's integrity and accountability.
