THRISSUR: The unrest within the Congress over the decision taken by the UDF on Thursday to shut down all the 730 bars in the state refuses to die down, with Excise Minister K Babu on Sunday taking a jibe at KPCC president V M Sudheeran over the statement the latter had made on the High Court order on August 14 to re-examine all the closed 418 bars.
Sudheeran had said that the Advocate General didn’t present the case with regard to the reopening of the 418 bars properly before the HC and hinted that by doing so, was favouring the owners of the closed bars. Speaking at the function organised by excise officers here on Sunday, Babu said the statement made by Sudheeran against the AG was improper and put the UDF Government under pressure.
He also made a veiled attack on the KPCC president that, on the bar issue, the ruling party in fact played the part of opposition.
“It is not me but Sudheeran who first said that if the 418 bars remain closed there is a possibility of flow of illicit liquor into the state and chances of liquor tragedies. But, when I said this, I was taken to task for allegedly supporting the bar owners,” he added. The Excise Minister also said that steps to close down the existing 312 bars would be initiated soon.