Congress general secretary and Amethi Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi on Friday expressed his disapproval of the practice of governments running liquor shops.
This was in response to A. Annamalai, Director, Gandhi Study Centre, who raised the issue of prohibition in an interaction held by the Congress leader with a cross-section of people from different walks of society at a five star hotel here. Mr Annamalai emphasised that the issue should not merely be seen as a social issue but also as a health issue.
The Amethi MP, according to Mr Annamalai, assured him that he would pursue the matter with the Union government.
Other participants said a host of issues ranging from the Sri Lankan question to agriculture to food security to alternative sexuality were raised. The Congress general secretary was forthcoming in his responses. In the case of the Sri Lankan issue, he was said to have sought suggestions from the audience as to what more the Union government should do.
Representatives of the film industry, academicians, leaders of non-government organisations, journalists and writers were among those who were invited for the interaction. Rama. Narayanan, ‘Abirami’ Ramanathan, Revathi, Nasser, Gnani, T. N. Gopalan, A. R. Venkatachalapathy and M.B. Nirmal were among those who took part in the discussion.
