NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, JUN 13
Slamming the DMK government for its decision to reopen state-run liquor outlets from June 14 in 27 districts, the state unit of the BJP on Sunday staged protest in the state capital and in other parts of Tamil Nadu.
BJP Tamil Nadu unit president L Murugan, who led a protest in front of the party state headquarters ‘Kamalalayam’ in Chennai said DMK president M K Stalin had last year strongly opposed reopening of liquor shops in Tamil Nadu during the first COVID-19 wave.
டாஸ்மாக் கடைகளை நிரந்தரமாக மூடக்கோரி பா.ஜ.க நடத்துகிற ஆர்ப்பாட்டத்தில் மாநில தலைவர் டாக்டர் திரு.@Murugan_TNBJP
மாநில பொதுச்செயலாளர் திரு.@KaruNagarajan1 உள்ளிட்ட மாநில மாவட்ட நிர்வாகிகள் கலந்து கொள்கின்றனர்#LMurugan #TasmacAgitation
#குடியைக்கெடுக்கும்திமுக pic.twitter.com/Q3WECemTMe— BJP Tamilnadu (@BJP4TamilNadu) June 13, 2021
Stalin, who is now Chief Minister, had even held a protest against the AIADMK government and was then completely against the move to reopen liquor stores, Murugan said.
However, after assuming power following a win in the April 6 Assembly polls, the stand have been reversed, he added.
‘This protest is to explain to the people the double standards of the DMK on the issue of reopening of liquor shops. We demand the DMK to stick to its position and not reopen the liqour shops (from Monday).’ Similar protest was held in places including Coimbatore.
The government had announced reopening of liquor stores in 27 districts including Chennai and shops in the rest of 11 districts would not resume operations in view of the relatively more number of virus cases in such regions.
Addressing reporters in Salem, Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji said in the BJP-ruled Karnataka liquor outlets were already open and wondered if the saffron party would stage protest against the increase in fuel prices.
Medical and Family Welfare Minister Ma Subramanian said liquor stores were closed down by Chief Minister Stalin as soon as he came to power and when the virus cases were on the rise.
Now, the shops are set to be opened in 27 districts where virus cases have seen a significant decline, he said.
Stalin assumed office as Chief Minister on May 7 and lockdown was clamped from May 10 onwards and liquor stores were also closed down besides others.
Subramanian sarcastically said liquor stores are open in Puducherry union territory region, where the BJP is set to play a major role in the government and ‘let them show black flags there and then come here (Tamil Nadu).’
