Delhi BJP MP shows up in Parliament with liquor, says Kejriwal govt encouraging consumption

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pravesh Sahib Singh Verma on Monday showed up in the Parliament with a pack of liquor and alleged that the Delhi government is encouraging the consumption of liquor in the city.

"During COVID-19 when 25,000 people died, the Delhi government was busy formulating a new excise policy with an objective to increase the consumption of alcohol in the union territory," Verma told ANI.

"Today 824 new liquor shops have opened. People are opening liquor shops in residential areas, colonies, villages, non-conforming zones. Till 3 am, the liquor shop will open, women will be given a discount if they drink till 3 am in bars. The age limit to consume alcohol is reduced from 25 to 21," he alleged.

"The objective behind this is that the Chief Minister wants to earn maximum revenue so that he can expand his campaigning. He went to Punjab for election campaigning for 2022 assembly elections and said that he would end the culture of alcohol, on the contrary, he is increasing alcohol consumption in Delhi," he further alleged.

Private liquor shops were shut down in Delhi from October 1 as per the Delhi government's new excise policy. However, the shops have now opened.

( With inputs from ANI )