Archbishop Soosa Pakiam M. has termed a ‘political drama’ the anti-drug campaign launched by the Kerala Police with the involvement of cricketer Virat Kohli and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Inaugurating an anti-liquor and anti-drug yatra organised by the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) at St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School here on Wednesday, the Archbishop said such drama was intended only to grab public attention and to fool the public.
Even as it did all this, the government was opening liquor retail outlets and granting licence for more bars. “While they organise such programmes spending a few lakhs of rupees, they are making crores of rupees as profit by selling liquor,” he added.
‘Double standards’
Bishop Remigiose Inchananiyil, who leads the yatra, said it was being conducted to expose the ‘double standards and hypocrisy’ of the government. Although the government and the judiciary were supposed to defend people’s interests, they were now turning against them. While the government was issuing licence for more bars and opening new liquor outlets, the courts that had ordered closure of these bars and outlets were now allowing their reopening, he said.
Addressing the rally, former KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran said an attempt was on to make it appear that drug abuse had gone up in the State following the last United Democratic Front (UDF) government’s decision to close down liquor outlets and bars. He also appealed to students to discourage adults from using liquor at home. St. Joseph’s school Principal P.J. Varghese welcomed the gathering.
A large model of a helicopter placed on a pick-up van is being used to attract children.
The rally will go to various schools and other public spaces and conclude in Kasaragod on December 2.
