SRINAGAR: The debate over liquor ban in Jammu and Kashmir has intensified, with the ruling Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (NC) and opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) trading charges, while the BJP remains cautious amid growing calls from religious groups and civil society for a complete prohibition.
There has been a surge in liquor use and the generation of revenue from it in Jammu and Kashmir. The UT J has earned nearly Rs 2,152 crores in excise revenue during the last two years, with Muslim-majority Kashmir contributing Rs 18,448.50 lakhs.
Srinagar has emerged as the top revenue-generating district in the Valley with Rs 65.57 crore excise revenue in 2024–25, while Jammu district led the Jammu province with Rs 509.13 crore.
The surge in liquor consumption has led to calls for ban on use and consumption of alcohol in J&K to safeguard the region's social fabric.
The NC government is resisting calls for prohibition with party president and three-time former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah saying, “If it (liquor) is not available here, they will bring it from outside.”
Abdullah recalled that when his father (late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah) won the election in 1977, then Indian PM Morarji Desai visited Kashmir and told him to ban the liquor. “My father told him, I don’t drink but if you give us revenue that we earn through liquor sale, we will ban it here”.
The NC president said today also if the Indian government helps and provides the necessary support to offset revenue generated, J&K government will ban sale of liquor in two minutes.
Questioning the opposition PDP’s advocacy for liquor ban, he said, “We have not opened liquor shops. When these were being opened, why did they not raise their voice then? I want to question them, why they did not raise their voice when the liquor shops were opening in every village”.
The controversy escalated a few days back after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah defended liquor sales saying, “Has anyone forced you to consume liquor? You are going to (liquor) shops on your own choice. Why are you going? We are not dragging you there”.
Facing criticism from PDP and religious leaders, Omar clarified a day later that liquor shops are meant only to individuals whose religious beliefs permit alcohol consumption.
He said no government in Jammu and Kashmir till date has imposed a complete ban on these liquor shops. “That does not mean that we wish to encourage its increased consumption. It means that those whose religious tenets permit the use or consumption of liquor are free to do so”.
“Our religion does not grant us such permission and nor do we desire that people should go toward this path. Our administration has implemented two or three key measures. First, we have not opened any new liquor shops. Second, we have made every concerted effort to ensure that no such shop is situated in a location where it might tempt youth to stray down the wrong path,” the CM said.
“My political opponents are attempting to exploit this statement to hide their own failures,” Omar said adding, “If my statement was wrong, then when their government was in J&K, what did they do on the issue? What I said in Ganderbal yesterday, the same thing was said on the floor of J&K Assembly by then PDP Finance Minister”.
In the Assembly this year, Omar had announced that the government has no proposal to declare J&K a dry UT as any prohibition would fuel smuggling, hit tourism and hurt the economy.
NC spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said those speaking about a liquor ban today are the same people whose Finance Minister had categorically stated in the Assembly that alcohol would not be banned.
“Some of their leaders have themselves spoken casually about drinking, and now they are trying to lecture others,” Sadiq said adding the party does not support alcohol consumption
PDP leader Iltija Mufti while terming CM’s statement as illogical said no religion promotes intoxication, whether it be Islam, Hinduism or Sikhism.
“If liquor use can be banned in Gujarat and Bihar, why a similar ban cannot be implemented in J&K,” she said and accused Omar of being insensitive towards religious sentiments of Muslim-majority population of J&K and claimed that NC had changed its stand after elections.
In February last year, PDP had launched a signature campaign to garner support for complete ban on liquor in J&K.
The Apni Party of influential businessman Altaf Bukhari and other Kashmir-based parties are demanding complete ban on liquor in the UT.
BJP has advocated caution with party general secretary (Organisation) Ashok Koul saying alcohol consumption could not be curbed through legislation alone and stressed the need for public awareness campaigns to tackle the issue.
Another BJP leader, Altaf Thakur, said in Bihar and Gujarat, where BJP is in power, there is a complete ban on liquor. ‘Tamil Nadu’s newly elected CM has closed 700 liquor shops. If these states can ban liquor, why not Omar Abdullah?’”
J&K Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam, Hurriyat Conference chairman and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, other religious leaders and civil society groups have demanded a complete ban on the sale and consumption of liquor in Jammu and Kashmir.