THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury making it clear that shut bars would not be opened, Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan on Friday took a similar stand on the issue. In his Facebook post titled, “what Yechury said is LDF’s liquor policy” the veteran leader said the policy was aimed at bringing down liquor consumption in a phased manner to attain temperance. “Yechury had clarified that shut bars will not be reopened as part of implementation of this policy. Where is the confusion?” he asked.
Mr. Achuthanandan said UDF and BJP's main programme was to create confusion with an aim to politicise the issue. UDF leaders are running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. Vijay Mallya who defrauded banks of Rs 8000 crore and disappeared from the country with the blessings of Modi government, has been gifted over 20 acres of land for peanuts in Kanjikode industrial area in Palakkad district.
If the UDF Government which claims to enforce prohibition in 10 years, has an iota of commitment left, shouldn't it take back the land? Mr. Ommen Chandy and Mr. Sudheeran are claiming that they have shut the bars. But in reality not even a single bar has been closed. These have been converted into beer and wine parlours where beer and wine containing high alcohol content is being sold.
He said there were allegations that even spurious liquor was being supplied through these outlets. Various studies have pointed out that the use of drugs, psychotropic substances were growing alarmingly. “Houses, vehicles have turned into bars across Kerala. Chandy and Sudheeran are spreading lies about decrease in consumption of alcohol as if people of the state are fool,” he said.
It may be recalled that at a meet the press programme here the other day, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan had stated that Yechury’s suggestion on keeping the bars shut would be considered in the liquor policy if LDF came to power. However, he gave enough hints hints that the bars would not be reopened citing the previous LDF government decision to not to revoke arrack ban imposed by A.K. Antony. Meanwhile, KPCC president V M Sudheeran mocked at CPM leaders for taking divergent stand on the liquor policy.
