The State government has decided to go for an appeal in the Supreme Court against the refusal of the High Court of Kerala to stay the verdict of its Division Bench directing the government to issue licence to 10 liquor bars.
This was disclosed by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at a post-Cabinet news briefing here on Wednesday. Responding to questions, he said that the differences in the Congress over the liquor policy had been sorted out.
‘‘Only Congress men can weaken the Congress,” this was Mr. Chandy’s refrain when mediapersons asked him about the moves of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to woo certain sections in Kerala. The question at the weekly post-Cabinet news briefing could not have been more specific as it was related to the BJP’s decision to depute one of its senior leaders to woo minority communities.
Responding to the question, Mr. Chandy said the Congress party was not worried about such moves since it was steadfast in its policy perspectives. “No political force can undermine the Congress and the United Democratic Front (UDF) if there is unity,” he said.
The Chief Minister appeared reluctant to make comments on the so-called differences he had with Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V.M. Sudheeran. To a question, he said the government would take policy decisions by discussing it at the party level.
