From PDP to NC Leaders, Omar Abdullah Faces Heat Over Alcohol Comments

A political row has emerged over the issue of liquor sales in Jammu and Kashmir after a statement given by the union territory’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday. This came amid the 100-day anti-drug campaign launched in the UT.

The opposition and one National Conference (NC) MP opposed the sale of liquor in the UT while the rest of the NC was seen backing Abdullah’s stance.

Debate over liquor sales in Jammu and Kashmir have been going on for a long time. The UT is a Muslim majority region and consumption of Alcohol is forbidden in Islam.

What is The Debate?

“These shops are for those people whose religion allows them to have alcohol. No government so far has banned these shops in J&K,” Omar said.

His statement was criticised by PDP leader Iltija Mufti who accused the government of taking U-turns on every issue and sought a ban on alcohol in the UT.

“In dry states like Gujarat and Bihar, where the majority is Hindus, if governments there can ban alcohol, why won’t you ban it here? It is unfortunate that you don’t respect the culture and sensibility of the majority Muslims in J&K even though you are the CM of a Muslim-majority region,” she said.

NC leader and Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi also criticised the CM.

“Among the lakhs of people, some youth get involved in alcohol consumption by looking at others. We want that route to be closed as well. There should be no shop whether anybody wishes to have alcohol or not,” he said at a public function.

Abdullah Defends Himself

Defending himself Abdullah floated the argument that no previous government in Jammu and Kashmir has enacted an alcohol ban. He said his government was not promoting the sale of alcohol rather allowing it for people whose religion does not forbid it.

“The opposition is using my statement to hide their own mistakes. If what I said was wrong, then what did they do in their own government? Because what I said in Ganderbal, the same thing was said on record by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s then finance minister in the assembly,” he said.

Farooq Abdullah, father of Omar Abdullah and himself a former CM of the UT joined in to defend his son.

“I do not consume alcohol. Those who drink alcohol will continue to drink. If it is not available here, they will bring it from outside. What can be done about that? And ask those who are raising this issue. After Morarji Desai became Prime Minister, he was strongly against alcohol. He told my father (Sheikh Abdullah) to impose prohibition. My father said that he had no objection, but if the government compensated for the revenue earned from alcohol, then prohibition could be implemented. Nothing happened after that," Farooq Abdullah said on Tuesday.

Though Abdullah toned down his remarks in a later statement and called his previous statements as being given in ‘paucity of time,’ and ‘twisted by the opposition’.

"The liquor shops are meant for those whose religion allows the consumption of alcohol. In J&K, no government has banned liquor shops. Let those people consume liquor whose religion allows them to do so. Our religion forbids alcohol, and we don't want anyone to take liquor," Abdullah added.