Bar hotelier Biju Ramesh is trying to dethrone the UDF government by joining hands with the Opposition LDF, Kerala Excise Minister K. Babu said on Tuesday.

"Biju Ramesh is nothing but a tool in the hands of the Opposition," Babu said, reacting to the bar owner's allegations against him in connection with the bar bribe case.

"Some of the LDF leaders held talks with Biju Ramesh at the residence of a CPM MLA in Thiruvananthapuram on December 15. There the Left leaders promised Biju to open the closed bars if he helped them to dethrone the UDF government. The CPM leaders also asked him to level charges against UDF leaders other than K.M. Mani too," Babu told reporters here. He also made public an audio clip as evidence to his claims.

“Biju took an anti-government stance at a meeting of the bar owners held on March 10 too. Biju is bent on revenge against the government ever since bar hotels were shut down in the state and he has been trying to frame evidence against UDF leaders,” Babu alleged.

The Excise Minister asked why Biju didn’t name him earlier if he had demanded bribe from bar owners. "Biju alleges that I demanded Rs 10 crore as bribe. Now he should explain when and where I raised the demand," Babu said.

- Manohar