Prohibition exists only on paper in Gujarat: Arvind Kejriwal on hooch tragedy

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said prohibition exists only on paper in Gujarat, where 33 people have died so far after consuming spurious liquor, and alleged alcohol is being sold in the open and bootleggers are enjoying "political protection" in the state.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, who met patients hospitalised here after consuming spurious liquor, said similar hooch tragedies have taken place in the past too and they raise a huge question mark on the way the liquor prohibition law is being implemented in the BJP-ruled state. "This is not the first incident. There have been several such incidents in the past. There is a big question mark on prohibition law which appears to exist only on paper," he said.

Kejriwal demanded compensation for family members of the deceased and those who are hospitalised. As many as 33 people have died so far and over 40 others hospitalised after consuming spurious liquor in villages in Botad and its neighbouring Ahmedabad districts, police officials have said.

On a two-day visit to poll-bound Gujarat, the AAP national convener said the victims to whom he spoke to in the hospital told him liquor is sold openly in their villages. "Gujarat has a prohibition law in force. If there is prohibition, then how is liquor being sold in the open? Doesn't the administration know about this? They clearly know this because it is being sold on a large scale and all over the state," he said while talking to the media after the visit. "This is not the first incident. There have been several such incidents in the past. There is a big question mark on prohibition law which appears to exist only on paper," he said.

Kejriwal quoted media reports and said the illegal liquor business in Gujarat is worth thousands of crores of rupees. "In Gujarat, liquor is sold in the open. If this is happening on such a large scale in every village and city, then it appears that prohibition is a cover to run an undercover, illegal liquor business and make money from it," he said.

The Delhi CM said it is obvious people selling liquor illegally are "getting political protection," and asked where all the money earned by them goes. He said masterminds behind the latest tragedy should be arrested and not just their minor operators.

The AAP leader demanded an impartial and high-level inquiry into the incident. "We demand from the government that it pay compensation to the families of the deceased and those who are hospitalised. ..We also demand from the government to arrest the masterminds and not a few of their operators," he said.

He said the Gujarat government will have to reply as to how liquor is being sold in the state. Asked what will be his approach on the issue if the AAP comes to power in the state where polls are due later this year, Kejriwal said his government will implement the liquor prohibition law strictly. "Because we are an honest party. We will not collect funds for our party by selling spurious liquor," he said.