The Hindu : Karnataka News : Arrack ban: Congress disowns Poojary’s statement

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Tuesday, May 06, 2008
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Karnataka

Arrack ban: Congress disowns Poojary’s statement

Special Correspondent

Manifesto does not say anything on lifting ban
Congress only party to cover amendment issue in manifesto

CHITAPUR (GULBARGA DISTRICT): Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president M. Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday distanced himself from the controversial statement of the former Union Minister, B. Janardhan Poojary, that if the Congress were voted to power, it would lift the ban on the sale of arrack in the State.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Kharge said that the Congress was in favour of continuing the ban imposed on the sale of arrack. He said that Mr. Poojary had made the statement in his “personal capacity” and that it did not reflect the accepted stand of the party.

Mr. Kharge said that the party manifesto released a couple of days ago in Bangalore did not speak anything about lifting the ban on arrack.

This is the stand of the party and “nothing more or nothing less”.

He also refused to say anything further about the statement of Mr. Poojary.

Referring to the statement of the former Minister, Vaijnath Patil, on the stand of the Congress on the demand for an amendment to Article 371 of the Constitution providing special reservation in employment and education for people in backward regions, Mr. Kharge said that nobody can doubt the commitment of the Congress to the issue and pointed out that the Congress was the only party to have covered the issue in its election manifesto.

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