Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti on Saturday kicked off a signature campaign to galvanise support for a complete ban on alcohol in Jammu and Kashmir and seek the support of political opponents.
The move comes ahead of the maiden budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, where legislators from PDP, as well as the ruling National Conference (NC), have moved their bills, respectively. The session will commence on March 3 in Jammu.
Mufti sought support from the ruling National Conference (NC), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Peoples Conference (PC) for the prohibition bill in the House. “It is not political but a social issue. The rising unemployment is pushing youth into drugs and alcohol,” she said.
Citing Bihar, Gujarat, and Nagaland, the PDP leader advocated for a ban on making Jammu and Kashmir a dry state.
“It has nothing to do with tourism,” she said. “The government has to see alternate measures for generating revenue instead of collecting taxes from alcohol sales.”
Mufti said that the NC has been forced to move the bill after her party legislator submitted the private member's bill in the House. As many as 800 questions alongside 80 private member bills have been submitted by 82 MLAs for the three-week session.
“There is a rise in alcohol and drug consumption, and it is spreading like fire. We want to raise awareness on it and our MLA has introduced a bill in the legislative assembly for a ban on alcohol,” she said at the PDP headquarters in Srinagar.
Originally, the event was scheduled at Sher-e-Kashmir Park just outside the office, but the police did not allow it. She highlighted the rise in drugs and liquor among youth, saying it is tearing apart the social and moral fabric of society.
“The last five years have seen a rise in alcohol outlets, and it is freely available now. We want the public to support our campaign and stand with us on the bill seeking a ban on alcohol,” said Mufti in her address to workers, volunteers, and young students who had come to support her campaign.
Replying to a query, she accused the NC of scuttling a bill on banning alcohol during the Farooq Abdullah-led government in 1984.
“People are watching this time, and if they (NC) reject the bill in the Assembly, it will speak volumes about the priorities and sensibilities of NC,” said Mufti, who is the daughter of former Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti.
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