Right from its inception, the government of Kerala, India, has been going from one crisis to another, and each new predicament has been worse than the previous one. The latest is the catastrophe caused by the outspoken politician P. C. George, who is known for his honesty and integrity, but not so welcomed for his vituperative language.

Despite his rough language, he has always earned the appreciation and awe of the people of Kerala for his detective skills. He proved himself to be the Sherlock Holmes of Kerala by unravelling and exposing the corrupt and fraudulent practices of those in authority, including those in his own party and the state government. Most of the unbiased Keralites are not reluctant to believe him, for the reason that none of his disclosures have proved wrong. Moreover, his untainted and clean political image confers him the credibility he deserves.

The latest accusations raised by him against his own party leader, who is also the finance minister, may not stand in a court of law that insists on solid and concrete evidence. Hence, those in the political domain are smart enough to do their job without leaving any trace. But the bits and pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, when assembled together, may perhaps point to the tainted image of the Finance Minister K. M. Mani.

The government of Kerala must learn from the tragedy that clean-bowled the Manmohan Singh government, as a befitting punishment for its obstinate and persistent efforts to shield corrupt elements in the ministerial posts. The astute chief minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy, who has so far skilfully managed to sustain his government, is unfortunately not in a position of strength to remove the accused finance minister. If he manages to do so, it may lead to the fall of his government, so instead, the accused minister should show the grace and the magnanimity to step down on his own. Keralites are not likely to forgive K. M. Mani, if his stubbornness would eventually lead to the fall of the present government. India needs more of such Georges and Kejriwals to fight the rampant plague of corruption that is stalling the progress of the country.

— The reader is an Indian training manager, based in Ras Al Khaimah