Kerala alcohol ban: HC order a setback to government, says V S Achuthanandan

Thiruvananthapuram: While Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan said that the Supreme Court directive on the bar issue was a setback to the government for its immature decision, KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran reiterated that there would not be any rethinking on the decision to bring in prohibition in the state.

Reacting to the SC directive, Mr. Achuthanandan said that the Supreme Court had pointed out practical and illogical issues.

Instead of prohibition, the government should initiate steps towards abstinence from liquor, he said.

CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said that total prohibition was not practical.

The UDF government’s new liquor policy would only trigger corruption, he said.

The KPCC president said that the government would be urged to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the liquor policy.

He also said that the SC directives could not be considered as a setback to the government’s decision for prohibition.

Excise Minister K. Babu said that though there was disappointment over the Supreme Court decision, the government would initiate steps to bring in prohibition in a phased manner in the state.

SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan said that, “the SC directive is a setback to the attempts by one person in Cliff House and another person at Indira Bhavan to refurbish their image.”