NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, JUNE 12
The Tamil Nadu government on Friday extended the lockdown till June 21 and announced further relaxations in 27 districts of the state. As part of the relaxations, the DMK-led government has permitted the functioning of TASMAC shops between 10 am and 5 pm.
However, this move has drawn flak as several political parties including the AIADMK and BJP pointed to the risk of coronavirus spreading at TASMAC shops and also pointed to earlier protests by DMK against the move, when they were in the opposition.
கொரோனாவால் அன்றைய நிலையில் நாளொன்றுக்கு 600 பேர்களுக்கு குறைவாக பாதிக்கப்பட்டிருந்த போதே டாஸ்மாக் மதுக்கடைகளை திறக்கும் நடவடிக்கையை எதிர்த்த நீங்கள், இன்றைக்கு 8500 பேர்களுக்கு மேல் பாதிப்படைந்துள்ள நிலையில் மதுக்கடைகளை திறக்க ஆணையிட்டிருப்பது ஏன்? சொல்லுங்க @mkstalin கேட்போம். https://t.co/dmY33qIOdV pic.twitter.com/kTdnqnv02h
— AIADMK – Say No To Drugs & DMK (@AIADMKOfficial) June 12, 2021
The AIADMK through their official twitter handle said, “‘Tamil Nadu government should shut down TASMAC liquor shops. Are TASMAC shops required while people are dying of infection? Do not open TASMAC shops that will bring law and order problems and affect the lives of people.’ MK Stalin, you raised these slogans last year, so what is your answer now?” The tweet was posted with a video of Stalin holding placards during a black flag protest held against the reopening of TASMAC shops during the lockdown.
தமிழக அரசே மதுக்கடைகளை இழுத்து மூடு!
தேவையா தேவையா கொள்ளை நோயில் மக்களெல்லாம் சாகும் போது மதுக்கடைகள் தேவையா?
சட்டம் ஒழுங்கு, மக்கள் வாழ்வை சீர்குலைக்கும் மதுக்கடைகளை திறக்காதே!
எல்லாம் நீங்கள் எழுப்பிய கோஷம்தான் @mkstalin இதற்கு உங்கள் பதில் என்ன?#குடிகெடுக்கும்_ஸ்டாலின் pic.twitter.com/wFBfRSlEw2
— AIADMK – Say No To Drugs & DMK (@AIADMKOfficial) June 12, 2021
Quoting another tweet of MK Stalin where he criticised reopening the state-run shops as ‘inhumane’ last year, the AIADMK asked, “After knowing the role of TASMAC in spreading coronavirus and that it is inhumane to reopen them, why is Stalin permitting to reopen the shops? To affect whose lives?”
Similarly, along with the video of the protest from last year, BJP leaders from Tamil Nadu also condemned the decision of the state government. Taking to Twitter, BJP leader K Annamalai said, “Opening of TASMAC shops from June 14 shows us a couple of things including the priorities of this government over a common man’s welfare and the promises of DMK when they were in the opposition (against TASMAC) and the all the drama they did then. Complete somersault today.”
மதுக்கடைகள் திறக்கப்பட்டால் ஏழைக் குடும்பங்களுக்கு கிடைக்கும் மிகக் குறைந்த வருமானமும் பறிபோய்விடும். குடும்பங்களில் வறுமை அதிகரிக்கும்; வன்கொடுமை பெருகும். இவற்றைத் தடுக்க தமிழ்நாட்டில் மதுக்கடைகளை திறக்கக் கூடாது; மதுவிலக்கை நடைமுறைப்படுத்த வேண்டும்!(5/5)#Tngovt
— Dr S RAMADOSS (@drramadoss) June 11, 2021
PMK founder Ramadoss, who was also opposing the reopening of state-run liquor shops said, “Tamil Nadu government’s permission to reopen TASMAC between 10 am and 5 pm is condemnable. Coronavirus cases are reducing step by step in the past four days and with that scenario, reopening TASMAC will lead only to increasing cases.”
“The government on one hand has announced Rs 2,000 as assistance and on another hand tries to get back the same by reopening the TASMAC shops. How is this right? Can the DMK, which condemned reopening TASMAC last year, do the same this year? Even after a change in rule, the scene hasn’t changed!” he said.
The PMK founder said that the government should use this time to implement total liquor prohibition. He said, “Reopening these shops will reduce the revenue earned by the underprivileged. This will lead to poverty and abuse will also increase in these families. To stop this, TASMAC shops should not be opened and a state-wide liquor prohibition should be implemented.”
In May 2020, DMK president Stalin, with his son and DMK youth wing president Udhayanidhi Stalin, wore black clothes and held black flags as a form of protest against the then AIADMK-led government’s decision to allow the opening of TASMAC shops. After the protest, Stalin said, “It is inhumane to not worry about the people who will be infected due to the opening of the liquor shops and be concerned only about the revenue of the government.”
In May last year, Tamil Nadu government reopened the TASMAC shops after the Supreme Court gave the nod. Initially, the Madras High Court ordered closure of TASMAC shops due to lack of COVID-19 etiquettes maintained at the shops. The High Court allowed only online sales and home delivery in the state. However, the state government appealed to the Supreme Court stating that online sale of liquor was impossible in the entire state.
Following this, the Supreme Court on May 15 stayed the Madras HC order to shut liquor shops and permitted the AIADMK government to reopen the state-run liquor outlets. However, AIADMK after reopening the outlets, received flak from parties like DMK, AMMK and several others.
