THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: UDF leaders have come down heavily against the LDF Government's new liquor policy announced by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Thursday. Senior Congress leader A.K. Antony, who banned the sale of arrack in 1996, told reporters in new Delhi that the state government was playing with fire. "Pinarayi has cheated the Malayali big time and the government has breached the promises made in its manifesto. UDF’s allegation of a secret nexus between the bar owners and the LDF has been proven true," Antony said. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the LDF government had joined hands with the bar owners even before the run up to the 2016 Assembly elections. "The new liquor policy will immerse Malayalis in liquor. The Opposition will challenge the Left's liquor policy with all our might. We will hold talks with like-minded people," he said.
He added that UDF will unmask the LDF and will reveal their real face to the people. Mr Chennithala alleged that the decision showed that the Government owed allegiance to the bar owners. Taking a pot shots at the government, he said he does not want to reveal how much money the Government had got from the bar owners. "Pinarayi Government is trying to blame the A. P. Udayabhanu Commission so that they can go scot-free by coming out with high alcohol content. It must be recalled that Udayabhanu Commission had recommended to bring down the availability of liquor, while the Left Government has actually made it easily available," added Chennithala.
Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Thursday's decision has come as a shock to people who were expecting good deeds from the Left Government. "Unfortunately this Left Government is going backwards in terms of various policies especially the liquor policy. Kerala's social, financial and development aspects will go behind the times now," Mr Chandy said. BJP State president Kummanam Rajasekharan alleged that the Left was in connivance with the bar owners even before the last Assembly elections. Taking a dig at the new liquor policy, he said the Government's intention was to immerse the Malayalis in liquor. "They had claimed that their agenda was to bring down the consumption of liquor in a staged manner. But they have thrown their promises to the wind. LDF Government has cheated the people of Kerala," Mr Kummanam Rajasekharan said.
