Gujarat govt agrees to make prohibition law stricter

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Gandhinagar:    Gujarat government today agreed to modify its existing law banning use and sale of liquor in the state to make it stricter during the coming budget session of the assembly after which the OBC Ekta Manch and Gujarat Kshatriya Thakor Sena president Alpesh Thakor ended his ‘sit in’ protest here and withdrew the call of the proposed gherao (lay siege) of the assembly tomorrow.

       Thakor, who had organized a rally in the Satyagrah Chhawani ground in sector 6 here today issuing ultimatum to the state government to give assurance regarding a stricter prohibition law by six pm this evening, later told his supporters that the government has agreed to it.

      ‘I thank the government and the people of Gujarat. All of you should celebrate Diwali tomorrow by lightening lamps and busting crackers,’ he announced and appealed the supporters to go back.

        Earlier in the evening, in a swift move apparently to avoid an imminent looking standoff, the government called 9 of the representatives of the OBC Ekta Manch to discuss the matter with senior minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama at the circuit house here who assured them about the new law. 

          Thakor said that the government has agreed to almost of all of his demands. ‘Minister Chudasama has agreed to make a stricter prohibition law in the next session. The commitment was made in public and in front of media. The next session is around two months away. Let us see,’ he said.
         Mr Chudasma later said that the government will bring an amended bill in the next session after proper study and legal advises. ‘Alpeshbhai  is doing public awareness against liquor addiction in his community for some time which was commendable. I had a meeting with nine of the representatives of the Kshatriya Thakor Sena. The Rupani government is implementing the existing law strictly and we will amend it by doing away with loopholes. We will bring the amended bill after proper legal exercise so that a situation like Bihar (Rejection of law by high court) does not arise here,’ the minister said.

   Earlier while addressing the rally Thakor said that he would sound the ‘death bell’ of the government if his demands were not met with.
       Reiterating his demand of making a stricter anti liquor law on the lines of Bihar, Thakor said that if the government did not do so or issues solid assurance by six pm this evening, then he would sit on a fast at the venue (Satyagrah Chhawani ground in Sector 6 here in which they had got police permission for the meeting till six pm only) and gherao (lay seige) the state assembly tomorrow with his supporters.
    
         He also demanded Rs 5000 crore annual package for his community. He also raised the issue of employment to local youths in the plants of various companies being set up in Gujarat. He said that despite land allotment for Tata Nano plant at a token price and Rs 40000 crore tax waiver, employment to local Gujaratis proved a distant dream. He said that Gujarat does not need such companies which don’t provide employment to locals.

        He also said that he would make a political party if needed. In an apparent attempt to woo the Patidar community he also chanted the slogan of jai Sardar, Jai Bhim. Alpesh’s father Khodaji Thakor, a Congress leader, was also present on the occasion.

         Self Styled Dalit Leader Jignesh Mewani, who tried to hog the limelight during the Dalit protests post Una incident, was also present in the rally and extended his support to Alpesh and attacked the Gujarat model claiming it was a model of unemployment. He also said that the government was involved in the politics of division.

         Another well-know anti BJP face and Patidar Ananamat Aandolan Samiti (PAAS)Convener Hardik Patel who is living in Udaipur for six months as per his bail conditions in sedition cases, also expressed his support to Thakor and his demands issuing a video message. He said that he was concerned about the safety of Thakor. ‘I am concerned that something like what happened to us during our similar sit in at the GMDC ground in August last year might happen with Alpesh. They should remain alert,’ he said in the message.

          Thakor in his address had also attacked Prime Minister Modi claiming that despite 10 lakh postcards demanding his intervention in the matter which has caused already sent to him, no response from the PMO has been seen so far.

         ‘The state government had assured us of a strict law against liquor but so far nothing has been done. We demand a law on the lines of Bihar implemented by Nitish Kumar government. What kind of a vibrant Gujarat is this where all the communities have come on roads against the government. Despite it being a dry state, all the corners of the state are filled with bootleggers and hooch tragedies are rampant, MLA’s have permit to consume and sell liquor,’ he said demanding that strict action against the police officials and public representatives of the area from where illicit liquor is seized should be ensured.  ‘If the government acts on our demands I will bow down to it and praise it but it it did not then the death bell will be sounded. I will sit here and if our demands are not met I will not get up, only my dead body could be lifted.,’ he said earlier.

DeshGujarat