Thiruvananthapuram: Veteran Marxist leader VS Achuthanandan, an atheist, today quoted the Holy Bible in the state Assembly while launching a scathing attack on Finance Minister KM Mani, a die-hard Catholic, for his alleged involvement in bar bribery scam.
Quoting from the Gospel of Mathew, the nonagenarian leader, who stole the limelight on the opening day of the Assembly, asked Mani whether he wanted to remove all his taints after chopping off the organs that had committed sin or rot in hell.
"If your right hand makes you sin, cut it off and throw it away.. And if your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away," Achuthanandan, also the state opposition leader, said while Mani sat in silence.
Seeing the verbal attack by Achutanandan, members of the opposition thumped their desks cheering their leader.
Achuthanandan's remarks came shortly before the opposition walkout after the Speaker disallowed permission for an adjournment motion, seeking discussion over the state Vigilance Chief's reported decision not to prosecute Mani in the bar scam.
"There is no point in praying after committing all sins," the leader said.
