Amid growing calls for a liquor ban in Kashmir, the ruling National Conference on Saturday said the party would impose the ban “very soon.”
On Friday, leaders and workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party staged a protest march in Srinagar, demanding complete prohibition on the sale and consumption of alcohol in the Valley.
Reacting to the BJP’s protest, National Conference chief spokesperson and MLA Tanvir Sadiq criticised the BJP for remaining silent when the liquor policy was introduced during the Lieutenant Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir.
He, however, asserted that only the National Conference would ban liquor in Kashmir.
“I won’t go much into this. But I promise you one thing — whenever liquor is banned, it will be done by the National Conference only, and very soon,” Sadiq said.
Responding to the BJP’s threat of launching a hunger strike over the issue, Sadiq said, “First of all, let them hold a hunger strike against those who framed the policy during the L-G’s rule in 2023. They did nothing then.”
Sadiq said the party understood the public sentiment in Kashmir regarding the issue.
“Especially in Kashmir, people want some action on it. Inshallah, the Omar Abdullah government will look into it. Whatever needs to be done, we will do it,” he added.
Amid the ongoing ‘Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyan’, one of the region’s largest anti-drug campaigns, demands for banning alcohol in the Valley have intensified.
Hurriyat Conference chairman and chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq recently said alcohol “deeply harms society” and questioned the logic of cracking down on drugs while ignoring liquor.
Other political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party and Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari, have also supported the demand for a liquor ban.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently sparked controversy when he remarked, “Did anyone force you to drink?” The comment drew criticism, prompting him to issue a clarification later.
