CM justifies his objection on AG appearing for bar owners

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Thursday defended his objection to the appearance of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi for bar hotel owners in the appeal challenging the state's liquor policy in the Supreme Court.

Chandy said he did not think that the action of the Attorney General is in tune with the spirit of federal system.

"It should be examined whether the action of Attorney General of India is against the spirit of Federal system. The state was actually trying to implement one of the matters enshrined in the directive principles of the Constitution," he told reporters during the Cabinet meeting briefing here.

The state's liquor policy envisages total prohibition in 10 years time. With the new policy that came into force from this financial year, only hotels with five star status were permitted to operate Indian Made Foreign Liquor(IMFL) bars. More than 700 hotels below the category of five star were closed down after the new policy came into force.

"I already wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing the state's objection in this regard", Chandy said. He replied in the negative when asked whether he got a reply from Prime Minister to his letter.

"I do not think that action of AGI is in tune with the spirit of federal system," Chandy added.

Chandy was responding to a query on the state high court criticism of the functioning of Advocate General office and the remark that Chief Minister has no right to complain about Attorney General when state's Advocate General office was in a "shabby state of affairs".

Fully backing the Advocate General's office, Chandy said government had full faith in its functioning.