Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference on Friday strongly reacted to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s protest march in Srinagar demanding a ban on liquor sales in Jammu and Kashmir, accusing the BJP of ignoring decisions taken during its own tenure.
Earlier in the day, BJP workers staged a protest march towards the residence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar, raising slogans and demanding prohibition on the sale and consumption of liquor in the Union Territory.
Responding to the protest, the National Conference issued a sharp statement through its official social media handle, questioning the BJP’s position on liquor-related policies introduced during previous administrations.
“We fully respect the sentiments of these 20 BJP workers,” the party said in the statement, taking a swipe at the scale of the protest.
The National Conference further questioned which government was in power when the 2017 Excise Policy identified municipal wards and tehsils as areas for unreserved liquor sales in Jammu and Kashmir.
The party also referred to the 2022 decision allowing liquor sales through grocery and departmental stores, asking which administration had approved the move at the time.
The exchange has further intensified the political debate in Jammu and Kashmir over the issue of liquor sales, with parties trading charges over policy decisions and public sentiment surrounding the matter.
