Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday ignited a controversy by linking alcohol consumption to religion while defending Jammu and Kashmir's liquor policy. He asserted that liquor shops in the Union Territory are intended for individuals whose faith permits drinking, emphasizing that the absence of prohibition does not signify government encouragement of alcohol use.
Omar Abdullah's Statement on Liquor Policy
"First of all, these liquor shops are for people whose religion allows them to consume alcohol. Secondly, no government in J&K has banned these shops. It does not mean we want their use to increase. Only those whose religion permits alcohol consumption should use them. Our religion does not allow it and we do not want people to move towards that path," the Chief Minister explained, clarifying his earlier remark that no one is forced to consume alcohol.
Omar's comments come at a time when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has launched a 100-day 'Nasha Mukt J&K' campaign against drugs, with demands from various quarters to extend the ban to liquor as well.
Government Measures to Curb Youth Alcohol Consumption
Stating that his government has taken steps to prevent youth from consuming alcohol, Omar said: "First, we did not open any new liquor shops. Second, our consistent effort was to ensure that no shop was located in a place where it could encourage our youth to take the wrong path." On Sunday, when asked why liquor shops were left untouched despite the LG's anti-drug campaign, the CM stated: "Has anyone forced you to drink? You are going to liquor shops by your own choice. We are not dragging you there. We are not even advertising liquor sales. Our government has not increased the number of alcohol shops."
Political Reactions to Omar's Remarks
Coming under fire from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) over his refusal to ban liquor shops, Omar questioned why the PDP did not bring in prohibition when it was in power. "What I said yesterday (Sunday) was also stated on record in the Assembly by the finance minister of the PDP (government)," he added.
Reacting to the Chief Minister's comments, PDP's Iltija Mufti said his claim lacked logic, as Hindu majority states like Gujarat and Bihar have banned alcohol. "It is unfortunate that as the chief minister of a Muslim-majority region, where the overwhelming majority of the population is Muslim, he does not respect their values and sensibilities," Iltija added.
Even Omar's party colleague and National Conference MP Aga Ruhullah favored a ban, stating that shutting shops would automatically block access to alcohol.
In response to Iltija's statement, the National Conference insisted that the CM did not refer to any religion. A National Conference spokesperson also stated that the PDP had earlier opposed the liquor ban.
