NEW DELHI: Intensifying its campaign against the Delhi government’s new liquor policy, the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with local residents and traders association of Old Delhi’s Khari Baoli on Saturday sat on an indefinite dharna outside the newly-opened liquor vend in the area.
Raising slogans such as “Ye sharab neeti nahi, kharab neeti hai (this is not a liquor policy but bad policy), traders of the wholesale market said that the liquor store has been opened right next to a temple, which is “unacceptable” and “hurts the sentiments” of people.
“We have launched an indefinite demonstration from Saturday and will not move from until this store is closed by the government. We have written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal requesting him to shut this liquor store at the earliest,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.
Prem Arora, who heads the Kirana Committee in the area, said that this market is already congested with umpteen number of shops, the opening of a liquor store in the area has added to the crowd. “The crowd outside the store is huge and it’s nothing short of a mess. It is not right to allow a liquor vendor to open amidst a busy market and more so next to a temple. We will ensure that this vend is closed and its license cancelled. Otherwise the locals will put a lock at the store,” said Arora.
The Delhi BJP has been running a campaign against the liquor policy of the AAP government, which it said will be its major poll plank for the civic polls that were slated to be held in April but have been deferred by the Centre.