The News Minute| November 1, 2014 | 10.30 am ISTLiquor Bar controversy in Kerala has taken a new turn with Biju Ramesh, a bar owner and a leader of the bar hotel owners' association alleging that he paid a bribe of rupees one crore to Finance Minister K M Mani to facilitate renewal of bar licenses. Biju told news channels on Friday that Mani had asked for 5 crores as bribe. According to Biju Ramesh, the money was handed over some months ago and when state Congress President V M Sudheeran made it clear that he will not allow licenses to be renewed (Aoril 2014), Mani told bar owners that he will not take the rest of the bribe as he was helpless before Sudheeran’s decision.K M Mani, a Kerala Congress leader (an ally of the Indian National Congress) has reacted saying this was an attempt to malign him and there should be an enquiry on who was behind the political conspiracy.The Kerala Chief Minister has come out in support of the Finance Minister and has called the charges against him unfortunate.