MLA demanding total prohibition arrested

Tension prevailed for more than two hours in and around Vikas Soudha complex after the police detained Aland MLA B.R. Patil, who along with his supporters laid a siege of the office of the Joint Commissioner of Excise demanding total prohibition in the state and curbing the illicit sale of liquor openly in the rural areas.

The supporters of Mr Patil, including a large of women, prevented the police van from moving ahead and demanded Mr. Patil’s release.

Meanwhile, Mr Patil and others who were detained by the police near the main gate were forced to stay put inside the police van for more than an hour. It was only later that the police summoned additional police vehicles to detain the remaining supporters.

Mr Patil and his supporters were taken to the District Armed Reserve Police grounds in four vans and released later.

Earlier, Mr Patil and his supporters held up placards with the portraits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B R Ambedkar and raised slogans demanding total prohibition and end of illicit sale of liquor in rural areas. They took out a procession from Sardar Vallabhai Patel Chowk to the Joint Commissioner’s office and tried to barge in. However, they were prevented by the police personnel, who were present in full strength.

Initially, the protestors squatted in front of the main gate and started raising slogans. The protestors said that due to the relentless campaign against the sale of the illicit liquor in Aland taluk, the sales have come down. However, it has not been totally abolished due to the indifferent and uncooperative attitude of the excise department officials, who were hand in glove with those involved in the illicit sale of liquor.

Mr. Patil and his supporters demanded the excise department should initiate tough measures to end the illicit sale of the liquor in the villages by invoking the provisions of the existing laws and punishing the guilty.

Later, when the supporters tried to lock the main gate, the police intervened and arrested Mr. Patil and few of his supporters.