THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury has categorically stated that if the Left Democratic Front (LDF) came back to power, the closed bars would not be reopened. He said the controversy over liquor policy was needless and the UDF was deliberately raking it up with an eye on the forthcoming Assembly polls.
“Our policy has always been to further reduce the impact of liquor consumption in Kerala society which has already demonstrated new social problems. So our efforts will be to further reduce this liquor consumption,” he added. The CPM leader said the measures to be initiated to bring about this change, would be decided by the new LDF government at the appropriate time. “Our state secretary has made it clear that there will be no reversal of the policy,” he added.
Mr Yechury made the party stand clear following a brief meeting of the available politburo which discussed the doubts being expressed about LDF’s liquor policy in the state. Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan is believed to have
urged the central leadership to clear the confusion over liquor policy should it adversely affect LDF’s electoral prospects.
While the CPM state leadership was silent on the question of reopening of closed bars, Mr Yechury’s statement on Friday brought clarity on the issue. Soon after the party general secretary’s categoric statement, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that no additional drop of liquor would be sold if the LDF government came to power.
With CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury categorically stating that there would be no reversal of liquor policy, the UDF may not be able to carry on with its campaign against the LDF accusing it of working hand in gloves with the bar owners lobby.
The Chief Minister had all along been alleging that the Opposition was trying to destabilise the UDF government with the help of liquor lobby. For the moment the LDF has managed to checkmate the UDF campaign, but there is still no clarity on its stand on the issue of phased prohibition.
