AIADMK taunts ruling DMK, Left activist over liquor ban

The main opposition AIADMK on Sunday accused the ruling DMK of being silent over implementation of prohibition and also targeted activists who had held campaigns seeking liquor ban during its regime.

Ten months have rolled by after the DMK assumed power in Tamil Nadu and the number of state-run liquor outlets are increasing, alleged AIADMKs Tamil daily Namadhu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma in a write-up.

The DMK had assured ahead of the 2016 Assembly election that liquor shops would be closed immediately, the AIADMK said. Before the 2021 Assembly polls, the DMK promised closure of liquor outlets in a staggered manner, the AIADMK organ said.

When this was the case, the DMK government earned huge revenue as about Rs 40,000 crore is the annual liquor sale, the AIADMK claimed and accused the ruling party of being mute when the question of liquor ban was posed.

The DMK had demanded prohibition while in opposition and now that it is in the saddle of power, the AIADMK claimed that its arch-rival led government opened more liquor outlets and gave licence to new breweries. “This is the DMKs wont and innocent public should realise it.” Referring to activist Kovan, a functionary of a Left outfit Makkal Kalai Ilakkiya Kazhagam who became popular for his Moodu tasmacai moodu (Close down TASMAC liquor shops) campaign during the AIADMK regime, the main opposition party asked in which bunker is he hiding now?.

It was a song and dance based campaign seeking closure of all liquor outlets. Protests were also held in many parts of the state seeking closure of liquor shops.

The AIADMK also listed other activists who had campaigned for closure of state-run liquor shops when it was in power and asked why all of them have now become silent after DMK captured power in 2021.

In the run-up to the polls last year, both the DMK and AIADMK had pitched for a phased re-introduction of prohibition and closure of liquor outlets in a staggered manner in their respective manifestos.

The governments Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) runs retail liquor shops across the state.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)