Kerala Congress to lead protests against new liquor policy

Thiruvananthapuram, June 9 (IANS) The Congress-led UDF opposition in Kerala announced on Friday that they will stage massive protests across the state on July 1, the day the new liquor policy of the Left government comes into force.

On Thursday, the Pinarayi Vijayan government announced their new liquor policy wherein more than 700 closed down bars in three and four-star hotels in the state, subject to the apex court's directives and with all the mandatory licenses obtained, will be reopened from July 1.

The previous Oommen Chandy government's policy saw just around two dozen bars in five-star hotels operating, while it closed down more than 700 bars that operated in three and four-star hotels.

Addressing reporters here after the United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders meeting, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said they knew that their well planned liquor policy that is currently in force would be tweaked.

"Our fears have come true as there was an unholy alliance between the CPI-M and the liquor lobby, which began right from the time our policy came into effect in 2015. We knew they would tweak it, but we are hugely surprised that a party like CPI-M would make an abject surrender before the liquor lobby," Chennithala said, alleging that this policy is the outcome of a corrupt deal between the two.

He said that on June 15, they will protest in all the 140 assembly constituencies against the liquor policy and also against the new central directive on slaughter rules.

"On July 1, when the new liquor policy comes into force, the scale of our protest would be bigger and we will stage a massive protest before the state secretariat and in all 13 district headquarters. In our protests we will bring all those organisations that are against the new liquor policy," the Leader of Opposition said.