BJP’s ultimatum to AAP to act on liquor stores or face shutdown

New Delhi : Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta on Thursday said that more than 300 liquor shops are operating in the close vicinity of schools, religious places and residential areas, giving an ultimatum to the AAP-led Delhi government to take action against the these stores in 48 hours.

“There are still many such liquor shops which are in residential areas, near schools and religious places and if they are not closed within 48 hours the party workers along with corporation employees and officials and I personally would go to seal them,” he said in a virtual press conference.

Since the introduction of the new excise policy, the BJP has been protesting against the Kejriwal-led Delhi government. Under this policy, nearly 850 liquor shops were supposed to open across the city as the state government exited the liquor business. The opposition party has cited the opening of new liquor shops in close vicinity of residential areas, religious sites and educational institutes as the main reason behind its objection.

A month ago, the saffron party had also staged a protest against the new policy by obstructing traffic at 15 spots across the city.

Gupta said that BJP has been relentlessly protesting against new excise policy through chakka jam, signature campaign or protest demonstrations and now we have become Delhiites voice to protest against this policy strongly, adding, “The fact is Kejriwal is adamant to go through this policy for his own selfish interest.”

“This is the reason that earlier there used to be 21 dry days on festivals and national festivals but now liquor can be served even on Guru Govind Singh’s jayanti, Deepawali or Mahavir Jayanti and Holi and 18 such festivals. So it means there will only be three dry days now because there will be money exchanged between liquor mafia and Kejriwal and his party,” he alleged.

Over 70 per cent of areas of city will now have liquor shops in violation of master plan or the municipal laws, Gupta claimed, adding that earlier for opening a liquor shop, the local RWAs and women would be consulted but the same was not done when these 850 such shops are being opened and many have already come up.

He said daily average sale of liquor in Delhi is about Rs 50 crore and annual is Rs 20,000 crore. So by adding 18 more days the Kejriwal government is straightaway helping liquor mafia and will also be taking its own share of profit from them.

Delhi’s Finance Minister Manish Sisodia while introducing the excise policy had made the same allegations against the saffron party, claiming that the policy would put a complete ban on the modus-operandi of liquor mafias operating in the union territory while revolutionising Delhiites’ liquor buying experience by giving the liquor vends a new shape.