Farmers Movement Archive

JD(U) chief rejects demand for review of prohibition law

Patna: Rejecting the NDA allies’ demand for review of prohibition law in the wake of 13 deaths in Nalanda hooch tragedy, JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan on Monday said the liquor law would continue to remain in force.Responding to media queries in New Delhi, Lalan pointed out that the prohibition law was passed unanimously in the Vidhan Sabha and the leaders of all political parties had taken a pledge in support of it. When asked about some senior NDA leaders questioning the provisions of total prohibition, Singh said, “They were part and parcel of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha which passed the law for complete ban on liquor. If they are now raising questions on the same law, it is upon them to explain. They should explain whether their decision to take the pledge was wrong one.”On being asked about former CM and HAM(S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi’s recent demand for rollback of the prohibition law, Singh said he did not want to make any comment on any particular person. “I am speaking only on the prohibition law, which was unanimously passed by both the houses of Bihar legislature and the members of all the political parties took pledge by standing up from their seats. If they retreat from their pledge, it will be termed as a behaviour opposite their moral responsibility,” he said.Earlier on Sunday, a section of BJP leaders, including its state president Sanjay Jaiswal, raised questions over certain loopholes in the enforcement of prohibition law and demanded review of the law governing total ban on manufacturing and trade of liquor across the state.Two days back, Manjhi’s party HAM(S), which is an ally of NDA, asked, “If PM Narendra Modi can roll back all three farm bills, then why cannot CM Nitish Kumar rethink to withdraw the prohibition law?”

The Times of India

2022-01-18

Patna