Liquor ban not successful in Bihar: JD(U) leader Upendra Kushwaha

PATNA: Causing major embarrassment to his party’s government in general and CM Nitish Kumar in particular, JD(U) national parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha on Thursday said that liquor ban has not been successful in Bihar.
Responding to a media query in Vaishali district, Kushwaha also said liquor ban never becomes successful only due to the government’s efforts.“How can I say straight away that liquor ban is successful? It is not successful in Bihar, but it has benefited the society enormously,” he said.
On being asked whether liquor ban was successful in Bihar, Kushwaha replied with astonishment, “Liquor ban: successful? Are you not observing the situation? Liquor ban can not be successful, until the public wants."
Kushwaha, who was the Union minister of state for HRD in the NDA government from 2014 to 2018, also said, “There is a well-developed chain between the drinkers and the sellers of illicit liquor in the state. If this chain is demolished, the supply route would be blocked.” He said the society should come forward to make the liquor ban successful across the state.
Kushwaha’s remarks, however, stirred a hornet’s nest in the ruling JD(U) as it was the party’s de facto leader Nitish Kumar who enforced total prohibition in the state in April 2016. Nitish has, since 2016, been praising the state’s prohibition and police officials for effectively enforcing the liquor ban.
Senior JD(U) leaders though declined to make comment on Kushwaha’s claim about the alleged failure of total prohibition, they were unanimous that his statement was “certainly different” from the chief minister’s stand.
Reacting over Kushwaha’s remarks, Bihar BJP spokesperson Dr Nikhil Anand tweeted, “No doubt, Upendra Kushwaha is more honest Samajwadi that Nitish Kumar. He has revealed the truth: Liquor ban is unsuccessful and crimes continue.”
“Upendra Ji, public is scared due to the crimes and parallel economy in the name of liquor ban and people are getting united to send Nitish Kumar Ji to an Ashram,” Dr Anand tweeted in Hindi.
Earlier on Monday, Nitish, while chairing a review meeting on prohibition, asked the prohibition and police officials to focus on catching big suppliers and sellers of illicit liquors, instead of running behind individual drinkers.
“If one supplier of illicit liquor is caught, supply to an estimated 1,000 drinkers will be blocked. It was the reason why the CM asked the concerned officials to focus on catching the big suppliers, big sellers and retail vendors. The CM wants the supply chain of illicit liquor to be destroyed,” state’s chief secretary Amir Subhani said on Monday while briefing media about the decisions taken at the CM’s review meeting.