Nitish urges PM to impose total liquor ban across country

 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement a total liquor ban across the country.

“This move will be a real tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in the year when India is celebrating the centenary of Bapu’s Champaran Satyagraha,” Nitish said.

Gandhi had visited Champaran in April 1917 to protest against the Britishers forced indigo cultivation order, which adversely affected local farmers. Famous as the Champaran Satyagraha, the movement catapulted Gandhi to the national scene during the freedom struggle.

“India is celebrating 100 years of the Champaran Satyagraha. It’s high time the Centre imposes prohibition throughout the country as a mark of respect towards the Father of the Nation,” said Nitish, who earlier this year earned accolades from his bête noire Modi for the successful implementation of the liquor ban in Bihar.

“Nitishji, the way you have transformed Bihar after imposing prohibition here should serve as a source of inspiration for others. To bring such a cataclysmic change in the society is not an easy job. Many leaders can’t even think of doing so,” Modi had said in Patna.

On Monday, Nitish clarified that consuming liquor was not a fundamental right. “Show me one religion which advocates drinking,” the chief minister said, while interacting with the media.

Centre exploring ‘middle path’

The tourism ministry will seek legal suggestions to explore a “middle path” to solve problems being faced by hoteliers and restaurant owners following the apex court’s order banning liquor sale along highways, reports PTI from Delhi.

Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma, however, said the government will work within the framework of the directives of the Supreme Court in the matter.
He said this on Monday after a delegation of hoteliers and restaurant owners met him here on the issue of the Supreme Court’s order that liquor vends within 500 metres of national and state highways will be shut down from
April 1.