Thiruvananthapuram, Tuesday, 31 August 2010: In the wake of the of the lottery row in the State, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac and the Opposition leader Oommen Chandy have now stepped into an open spat challenging each other raising certain allegations.

Thomas Isaac, earlier in the day, challenged Oommen Chandy, for a public debate regarding lottery scam terming all his allegations baseless. He also urged the Congress leader to seek apology in public for raising unwanted allegations against him.

Meanwhile, Oommen Chandy, accepted the challenge saying that a representative of UDF would be deputed for the purpose. He also alleged that Isaac who had failed to implement the Centre’s directive was now taking an odd stance. Chandy stated that Isaac who had helped the Lottery mafia in their constructive growth was now simply raising groundless accusations.

However later in the day the Minister ruled out debate with a representative and clarified that he would also appoint a nominee, if the opposition leader does so.

Earlier report

Oommen Chandy on Monday said the UDF was opposed to the move to ban Kerala lottery and viewed Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac’s statement on this as blackmailing of three lakh poor people who earned a livelihood selling the government-run lottery.

Chandy said the issue now being debated was not whether Kerala lottery should be banned but rather the lapses of the State government in taking legal steps against illegal lotteries and the protection being given to their perpetrators.

“No one, let alone the UDF, has raised any objection against the conduct of Kerala lottery. We have been demanding legal action against illegally run other State lotteries,” Chandy said.

He alleged that the Finance Minister was trying to wriggle out of an unseemly situation by blaming the Central government and the various provisions in the Central lotteries Act of 1998.

“While it is true that the State government cannot ban paper lotteries of other States, 11 stipulations under Section 4 of the Central Act, lottery rules of April 2010 and the Supreme Court verdict on November 2009 give the powers to the State government to run other State lotteries in a transparent manner and take the necessary legal steps against the illegal trade. This was later substantiated by the Union Home Ministry in Parliament,” he said.