Swami Agnivesh supports government liquor policy

Thiruvananthapuram: Advocating a nation-wide campaign for total liquor prohibition, Social activist Swami Agnivesh on Thursday congratulated Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for the new liquor policy that aims to bring complete prohibition in ten years time.

However, Agnivesh said the Congress-led UDF government should not wait for ten years but should make the state a dry one during the tenure of this government itself.

Stating that one of the main problems faced by the nation, especially poor sections in the society, was of alcohol consumption, Agnivesh said he would undertake an anti-liquor campaign Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir next month.

"The new policy will succeed only if it is carried out in a time-bound manner. This is the right time for Kerala to bring total prohibition," he said.

Urging the Kerala government to ban cow slaughter, he said killing of cattle was in violation of a verdict of Supreme Court in the matter.

"Why government is not implementing the apex court's directive to ban cow slaughter," he asked.

Agnivesh also criticised the practice of animal sacrifice in the name of god.

He asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi to take up the anti-liquor campaign in the national level as party's programme in the background of massive people's support the policy received in Kerala.

He wanted Centre to come out with a National Alcohol policy that would bring about total prohibition in the country, at least in a phased manner.

Now each state has its own liquor policy and Centre does not have much say on that, Agnivesh said, and claimed his Yatra has the support of all religious outfits, Women's groups and other social organisations.

Criticising the functioning of the Narendra Modi government, he said "no real change has taken place in the country since the new NDA government came to power".

"Everything Modi doing is for media consumption and media show," he added.

"The dissenting voice in BJP is also shrinking. All is Modi and Modi alone", he added.