Giving a new twist to the ongoing liquor ban controversy, ruling National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said the Jammu and Kashmir government could impose a ban on alcohol “within two minutes” if the Centre agreed to compensate for the resulting revenue loss.
Dr Farooq Abdullah
Giving a new twist to the ongoing liquor ban controversy, ruling National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said the Jammu and Kashmir government could impose a ban on alcohol “within two minutes” if the Centre agreed to compensate for the resulting revenue loss.
Commenting on the debate over liquor outlets in the Union Territory, Abdullah said he personally does not consume alcohol, but argued that those addicted to drinking would continue to procure liquor from outside Jammu and Kashmir even if its local sale was prohibited.
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“I do not drink alcohol. Those who drink alcohol will continue to drink. If they do not get it from here, they will bring it from outside,” he said. “And those who are raising their voices should ask themselves who the people consuming alcohol are.”
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Recalling an incident from 1977, Abdullah said former Prime Minister Morarji Desai had asked his father, the then J&K Chief Minister Sheikh Abdullah, to stop alcohol sales in the state.
“My father told him that if the Centre gives us the revenue we earn from it, then we will stop it. Nothing happened,” he said, adding that if the Centre now compensates for the loss of revenue, the government could ban alcohol “within two minutes”.
The NC president argued that the issue was being politicised by opponents and questioned why there was no opposition when liquor shops were opened earlier during the BJP-PDP rule.
“We did not open liquor stores. Those who opened them — why did nobody raise their voice then? Shops were opening in every village,” he said.
Apparently targeting the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Abdullah accused it of raising the issue only to attack the government.
“They are ready to criticise us over everything. They think we are afraid of them, but we will defeat them in a way they will remember,” he said.
A political row recently erupted in Jammu and Kashmir over remarks by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on liquor consumption, with PDP leader Iltija Mufti accusing him of ignoring the sensitivities of the Muslim-majority region.
On Sunday, Omar Abdullah said that no one was being forced to consume alcohol and that people visited liquor shops by their own choice. The remarks drew criticism from opposition parties and sections of the public. A day later, the Chief Minister sought to clarify his statement, saying his comments were being “twisted” by political opponents.
He reiterated that he opposed liquor consumption by Muslims and said liquor available in Jammu and Kashmir was meant only for adherents of other religions that permit its consumption.
Meanwhile, NC MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi also lashed out at Omar Abdullah over his remarks on liquor prohibition, accusing him of responding “arrogantly” and deviating from promises made by the party during the election campaign.
The MP was reacting to Omar Abdullah’s remarks on the demand for a liquor ban in J&K, in which the Chief Minister had said, “Who is forcing youth to consume alcohol?”
Mehdi said governments often take measures against social evils even when enforcement cannot be absolute.
PDP spokesperson Iqbal Tramboo, reacting to the controversy, said Jammu and Kashmir should adopt a positive approach towards alcohol prohibition to protect the younger generation.
He added that if states like Bihar, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu can take steps against liquor consumption, Jammu and Kashmir can do the same.
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