HYDERABAD: BJP MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Wednesday, lambasted the state government on its decision to keep bars and pubs open till late on New Year’s Eve.
“When the entire country is worried about the Omicron variant, KCR is the only CM to give permission for wine shops and bars to remain open beyond midnight. The people of Telangana are laughing at him as no other CM or state takes such decisions,” he added.
Speaking to the media after an interaction with party workers in the Kagaznagar constituency, Sanjay said: “Covid-19 comes to Chief Minister’s mind when the BJP plans to take up the people’s issues and start protests to highlight those issues. But he conveniently forgets the Omicron issue while announcing the extended timings for wine shops, pubs and bars.”
Referring to the paddy procurement row, he said: “TRS MPS went to Delhi to raise the issue. All they did in the name of dharna was to take photos in front of the Parliament canteen.”
“KCR has been enacting a drama over the parboiled rice procurement issue. The Centre has no objection to procure raw rice from across the country. Have no doubts it,” he added.
BJP Mahila Morcha state president Geeta Murthy too hit out at the decision to keep bars open till 1 am. The state government had been refusing permissions for BJP’s protests on people’s issues citing the virus spread. Had it not occurred to the government that people’s health would be compromised if they binged on alcohol, she wondered.
Geeta Murthy observed that the state government wasn’t submitting in the High Court the steps taken to contain the spread of Omicron. She said that, perhaps, the TRS wanted Telangana to be known as a state which consumed copious quantities of alcohol which in turn sparks serious crimes.