The Indian government, in different states, is taking measures to curb alcohol-related menace-- shutting down bars near highways, liquor bans to name a few.
But this Madhya Pradesh minister has taken the war to another level by gifting washing bats to newly weds. Motive of the bat? To put the wooden plank to 'good use' if their husband come home drunk.
The Hindustan Times reported that MP's panchayat and rural development minister Gopal Bhargava presented the bat to brides at a mass- wedding ceremony in his hometown of Garkhota on Saturday.
"If your husband or any other member of family comes home drunk, treat him with it," the minister was quoted as saying by the paper.
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In a very unusual stance, Bhargava gifted two bats to evry couple with a scribbled message. One of them said: "Sharabiyon ke sutara hetu bhent (A gift to tackle drunkards)", while the other said: "Police nahin bolegi (police will not say anything)".
He asked the women to check brewing of illicit liquor in their areas and asked them to use bats if they failed to get help from officials, the report further added.
"I am happy that the minister thinks of empowering women against ill effects of liquor. In many villages, husbands beat up their wives when drunk and ruin their family life," one of the brides said to the paper.
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The grooms at the ceremony were also made to stay away from alcohol and other forms of intoxications.
The state government has been mulling over a complete ban over liquour after assessing the success of previous bans in states of Gujarat and Maharshtra. Several proposals have been made for the same.
