Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah was on Monday forced to eat humble pie after his off-the-cuff remarks, apparently justifying liquor consumption, triggered outrage.
The controversy turned personal after Omar’s aide trained guns on the late former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s drinking habits.
Omar opposed liquor consumption by Muslims, saying “our religion” does not permit it. He said liquor available in Jammu and Kashmir was only for the adherents of
other religions that allow its consumption.
Omar was asked on Sunday to explain how liquor consumption was right while drug addiction was bad. The question came against the backdrop of the ongoing 100-day Nasha Mukt Abhiyaan launched by the lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha-led administration.
Earlier, health minister Sakina Itoo had criticised the LG-led campaign for disproportionately targeting Kashmiris while Jammu had “more” addicts.
“Did anybody force them (boozers) to drink? You are going to the shops on your own volition. Why are you going there? We are not dragging you there. We are not advertising it (either). We have not increased the number (of shops),” Omar said in Ganderbal on Sunday.
The remarks triggered outrage, with the Opposition blaming him for justifying liquor consumption.
Asked to clarify his stand, Omar said: “The mistake is mine. I keep talking to you like this on the roadside. You ask questions, which need detailed answers, but because of time constraints, I give answers, which allow the Opposition to twist them,” he said.
“These shops are for those whose religion allows them. The Jammu and Kashmir government has never banned these shops. That does not mean we want liquor to be consumed more... let those consume it whose religion permits it. Our religion does not allow it. Nor do we want people to go this (liquor) way,” he added.
Omar said his government had not opened any new shops.
“My opponents are hiding their wrongs by (twisting) my statement. If my statement is wrong, what did their (PDP-led) government do? What I said in Ganderbal is the same as what their finance minister said in the Assembly (during their government) on record,” he said.
Omar later clarified that the shops were not for everybody, but for those who come from outside. “It is not for locals. My opponents have got used to twisting my statement,” he said.
His fresh remarks did not satisfy the Opposition, with PDP leader Iltija Mufti calling it deeply unfortunate. “If it is wrong to impose a liquor ban on Hindus, then how have Hindu-majority states like Gujarat and Bihar enforced prohibition successfully?” she posted on X.
Omar’s key aide Tanvir Sadiq, however, shot back and referred to the alleged boozing habits of Iltija’s grandfather and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
“Very rich coming from a party that opposed a liquor ban in the name of a ‘free world,’ while its own founder publicly stated about his habits after 7pm. Dulat’s (former RAW chief A.S. Dulat) video is still on YouTube. One small,” remember?” Tanvir wrote on X.
Dulat described Mufti as a “tippler” and said he was fond of “Black Label whisky”.