Excise Minister K. Babu has said that Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V.M. Sudheeran had taken a stand against prohibition earlier.
Addressing the 35th State conference of the Kerala State Excise Officers’ Association (KSEOA) here on Sunday, Mr. Babu said: ‘‘Mr. Sudheeran was the first to tell me that less availability of liquor would lead to hooch tragedies. He had told this in the presence of Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy while we were waiting at Thoppumpady to take part in a function being attended by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But when I uttered the same point, it was misinterpreted that I was intimidating people,’’ he said.
He said that some members of the ruling front had played the role of the Opposition in the bar licences issue.
‘‘The argument that the State government had invited the rap of the High Court is wrong. I also cannot understand why some people call me a betrayer...I held talks with the Chief Minister and the decision to close down 312 bars in addition to the already closed 418 bars was taken. The UDF’s liquor policy is comprehensive and ideal for the next 10 years,’’ he said.
He said the Excise Department’s anti-liquor campaign was effective in the past three years. He stated that steps to close down 312 bars would be taken immediately.
