Blind attachment to guarding liquor mafia's interest: BJP on Atishi favouring scrapped excise policy
Citing Atishi's remarks, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said if the said excise policy is implemented in Delhi, it will be recorded as a "shame" in the country's history
Delhi Water Minister Atishi (ANI)
NEW DELHI: The BJP Thursday hit out at AAP over Chief Minister Atishi favouring the implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, saying the "blind attachment" of the party's politics to safeguard the interest of liquor mafia will remain a "black chapter" in Indian polity.
The BJP’s charge came after Atishi in an interview with news channel TV9 Bharatvarsh favoured the implementation of the controversial Delhi excise policy in the national capital, saying it was a "better policy" that has been adopted by several states and their revenue has significantly increased with its implementation.
Citing Atishi's remarks, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said if the said excise policy is implemented in Delhi, it will be recorded as a "shame" in the country's history.
Has liquor become the first priority of the party which came into being "preaching morality" out of Anna Hazare's public movement, he asked and slammed the AAP while terming Atishi's remarks painful.
"The blind attachment of AAP's politics to safeguard the interests of liquor mafia will remain as a black chapter in Indian polity," Prasad added. There was no immediate reaction from AAP on the BJP's charge.
Prasad alleged the AAP is considering implementing the liquor policy if voted back to power despite its supremo and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, ex-deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and others arrested in connection with the scam and a chargesheet has also been filed in the court.
"Sanction for prosecution (against the accused) has also been granted in the case... Then what is the pressure from the liquor contractors and what is the understanding with them that she is saying that the policy will be implemented again after coming back to power,” he asked.
Asked if Delhi liquor policy, now scrapped, should be implemented again in the city despite the controversies around it, Atishi in the interview with the TV channel replied in the affirmative with "yes" written on a placard in her hand.
"Many states have adopted that policy. Those states' revenue, which comes through excise (duty), has also increased a lot. And actually, transparency in allotment has also increased (with the implementation of the policy)," she was heard telling in the video of her interview posted by the new channel on YouTube.
"That policy is a better policy," she added when asked if it should be implemented despite controversies around it.
