Delhi BJP holds protest demanding rollback of revised excise policy

According to the government, the move is expected to lead to an annual revenue growth of 20 per cent.Earlier in the day, Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta and other senior leaders of the party offered prayers at Mahatma Gandhis Samadhi at Rajghat, praying for good senses to prevail so that the excise policy is withdrawn by the Aam Aadmi Party AAP government.Addressing the protesters at Jantar Mantar, BJP National General Secretary Arun Singh alleged that the new excise policy is totally anti-people and the saffron workers will take to the streets to oppose it.

Delhi BJP leaders on Thursday staged a protest at the Jantar Mantar here against the Arvind Kejriwal-led government's revised excise policy and demanded its rollback. The Delhi government had approved on March 23 a new excise policy which had lowered the legal drinking age to 21 from 25 years. It had also withdrawn the government from running liquor vends in Delhi. According to the government, the move is expected to lead to an annual revenue growth of 20 per cent.

Earlier in the day, Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta and other senior leaders of the party offered prayers at Mahatma Gandhi's Samadhi at Rajghat, praying for ''good senses'' to prevail so that the excise policy is withdrawn by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

Addressing the protesters at Jantar Mantar, BJP National General Secretary Arun Singh alleged that the new excise policy is ''totally anti-people'' and the saffron workers will take to the streets to oppose it. Gupta claimed there are 88 municipal wards with no liquor shops but due to the new policy, alcohol will now be sold there.

He said the move to hand over 500 government liquor vends to private parties smacks of a ''scam'' and needs to be thoroughly probed.

BJP MP from New Delhi constituency Meenakshi Lekhi accused the Kejriwal government of "promoting alcoholism" in the city. The protesters included former Union minister Vijay Goel, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri among others.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)