Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday said “yoga is irrelevant unless ban on liquor is also imposed.”
At a public meeting in Palamu, Jharkhand, which was organised by a women’s group in favour of prohibition, Mr. Kumar appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban liquor at least in the BJP-ruled States.
“Yoga is a natural treatment process but it would be irrelevant unless a ban is imposed on sale of liquor across the country.”
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Mr. Kumar said Mr. Modi should not try to take credit for Gujarat being a dry State as the “ban on sale of liquor in Gujarat has been there since Independence.”
The Bihar Chief Minister added that when Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (P) leader Babulal Marandi becomes the Chief Minister again, liquor will be banned in Jharkhand as well.
Earlier, Mr. Marandi had praised Mr. Kumar, saying he was “PM material.” It gave rise to speculation that his party would merge with the Janata Dal (United).
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Mr. Kumar also slammed the BJP government in Jharkhand, saying that Chief Minister Raghuvar Das “increased liquor quota in the bordering areas” despite being requested for help with implementing prohibition in Bihar.
“It is clear violation of the 1915 Excise Act, which prohibits sale of liquor within a limit of 3.6 km from the area under purview of the ban… In Palamu district he has increased the liquor quota by 50 per cent.”
Talking about yoga, Mr. Kumar said he had been practising it for a long time “but never publicised it.”
Last year, the Bihar government was criticised by BJP leaders after it refused to observe June 21 as International Yoga Day.
“Yoga is not a one day event but a way of life…I’ve been practising asana, pranayam and yoga nidra for years but the first principle of yoga is to stay away from alcohol…you cannot have Yoga Day and the sale of liquor hand in hand. TheModi government has turned everything into an event management exercise and never addresses the real issues.”