New DelhiUnion Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Friday strongly criticized the new excise policy of Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government and said that it is surprising that schools and religious places in Delhi Liquor shops have been opened nearby.
Addressing a digital rally organized by the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Irani also hit out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said, “The leader who spoke of Swaraj and against liquor shops in his book Talked about dharna and shutting them down, he is now exploring possibilities of opening liquor shops in every ward of Delhi.”
Hitting out at Irani, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party said there was a “collusion” between the BJP and the liquor mafia, through which she used to earn Rs 3,500 crore. In a statement, the Aam Aadmi Party said, “With the new excise policy, the backbone of the liquor mafia has been broken and the illegal earnings of the BJP have stopped. Distracted by this, BJP leaders are spreading lies and making baseless allegations. Irani said that the BJP’s protest against this new excise policy of the Delhi government will continue and it will be till it is withdrawn.
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He said, “Kejriwal government has given a message to the society that it can go to any extent for profit. I want to ask the AAP government that who will be responsible for the families that will be ruined in the pursuit of this benefit. He said that liquor shops have been opened near a Gurdwara in Tilaknagar and also near a Gurdwara in Shahdara. The opening of liquor shops in the Mandawali area often leads to fights and disputes.
Irani said the liquor shops have also put women’s safety at risk. Under the new excise policy of the Delhi government, private groups have been given license to open 849 liquor shops across the city. So far around 550 contracts have started operations, while the rest are being set up by private groups.
BJP’s Delhi unit president Adesh Gupta on Thursday warned the AAP government that if the liquor shops open near residential areas, schools and religious places of the capital were not closed within 48 hours, the party would stop such shops. Will seal. (agency)