The Hindu : New Delhi News : BJP's dharna against liquor shop

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 20, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

BJP's dharna against liquor shop

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 19. Agitated workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party led by the Delhi BJP president, Harsh Vardhan, today staged a dharna before a newly- opened liquor shop outside a DTC bus stop here and burnt an effigy of the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, as part of a city-wide campaign seeking striking down of the new excise policy and cancellation of the licences of the new wine shops which have been opened in the Capital.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Vardhan warned that if the Delhi Government did not modify its policy within 72 hours and the new wine shop opened at East Krishna Nagar in his constituency was not closed, a dharna-demonstration programme would be started in front of the shop.

Stating that this would be the starting point of the agitation by the BJP against the liquor policy of the Delhi Government, he said the party intends to intensify the struggle across the Capital.

Later, at the Delhi BJP office, Dr. Vardhan said a detailed strategy would be finalised for a Delhi-wide agitation against the liquor policy. He also charged the Congress with extending benefits to its near and dear ones in the garb of increasing the revenue by granting licences for opening new liquor shops.

Accusing that the new excise policy was framed to benefit vested interests, Dr. Vardhan said it was for this reason that the need for permission from the local MLA for opening a new wine shop in any given Assembly segment had also been done away with.

He said that he had written letters to Ms Dikshit and the Finance Minister, A.K. Walia, for setting aside the new policy and cancel the licences of new wine shops. The policy was promoting drinking habits and would result in increase in crimes against women, he said.

Finally, the BJP leader appealed to all voluntary, social and religious organisations to protest against the move to encourage liquor sale in Delhi and exhorted intellectuals and vigilant citizens to also raise their voice against this new excise policy.

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