BJP wants to replicate "Gujarat Model" of illegal liquor business in Delhi: AAP

In the latest hooch tragedy in the state 36 people have died so far after consuming spurious liquor.

New Delhi: The AAP on Tuesday alleged that the BJP is up against the Delhi government's excise policy as it wants the business of spurious liquor to thrive in the national capital and cause revenue loss to the public exchequer.

It said the saffron party wants to replicate "Gujarat Model" of illegal liquor business in Delhi, latching on to the latest hooch tragedy in the state where 36 people have so far died after consuming spurious liquor. The AAP also demanded the resignation of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in view of the incident.

Notably, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has sought a report from the chief secretary on allegations of "cartelisation, facilitating monopolies and favouring blacklisted firms" in awarding liquor licences under the Excise Policy 2021-22 of the Arvind Kejriwal-led city government, which has asserted that there was no truth in the claim.

Addressing a press conference, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "There are few people who want that the business of spurious liquor continue and thrive in Delhi as well. Since 2021 when the Delhi government brought the new excise policy, these people have been perturbed."

They want that the government-licensed liquor shops are closed down so that the spurious liquor business can start, he said and accused the BJP of pursuing the agenda of such people in the national capital by raising questions on the Delhi government's excise policy.

"They (BJP) say the number of liquor shops have gone up to 850 to 1,000 in Delhi from the previous 250 after the new excise policy was brought in," the AAP spokesperson said, adding, "the BJP is spreading lies".

While the maximum number of liquor shops has been capped at 849 under the new policy, a total of 644 vends were opened and 176 of them were closed down later, he said.

"These shops were closed down for various reasons. Many of the vendors closed down their shops either due to losses or BJP's intimidation," Bharadwaj claimed, adding, "The BJP is intimidating the vendors because it wants all of them to run away and cause revenue loss to the government."

In a veiled reference to the BJP-led Union government, the AAP leader alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax department and other central agencies have also been tasked to intimidate local liquor vendors so that they close down their shops.

The AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that business of spurious liquor across Gujarat is going on unabated despite liquor being prohibited in the state because the trade enjoys the patronage of the ruling BJP.

"Crores of rupees come... that is why they are opposing the Arvind Kejriwal government's new excise policy which has put a check on the spurious liquor business in the national capital," Singh, also the AAP's national spokesperson, said at another press conference.

He termed the death of the people in the latest hooch tragedy in Gujarat as "murder" and held the Gujarat chief minister responsible for the deaths

"As many as 28 people have so far died despite the fact that the village head had made a written request to the local police few months ago for taking action to stop the sale and purchase of spurious liquor in the area," Singh added.

Hitting back, the Delhi BJP said it is "regrettable" that AAP leaders are trying to use a "mishap" in Gujarat to justify their government's new excise policy which is "inundated by corruption".

In a statement, party spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor alleged that the policy is "inundated by corruption" and sought to know from AAP leaders why the Kejriwal government allowed a relief of Rs 144 crore to liquor vendors and gave an incentive of Rs 15 per carton of foreign liquor to them.

"Why they gave licenses to blacklisted companies like Khao Gali Restaurants? Why they gave license to shell firms flouted by liquor manufacturers in violation of norms? Why does the government want to open liquor vends in residential areas?" the BJP spokesperson also asked. (PTI)