Speaking at a convention on ‘Liquor-Free India’, Bihar Chief Minister NItish Kumar on Monday, 17 February, proposed a nationwide ban on alcohol, saying it was Mahatma Gandhi’s wish.
“The liquor ban should not just be carried out in nearby states but all across the country,” Kumar said.
He added that the alcohol-ban had earlier been imposed in Bihar by then Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur, but it could not be implemented completely.
Kumar first introduced the idea of liquor ban in Bihar in 2011 and later brought it in law in 2016. In a Bihar Assembly session on 23 July 2018, he reiterated that the liquor ban was “introduced for the poor people”.
“They (poor people) were wasting a major part of their income in buying alcohol. Domestic violence was high. I did this for the betterment of poor.”NItish Kumar, Bihar Chief Minister
Besides Bihar, alcohol is currently prohibited in Gujarat, Nagaland, Mizoram and Lakshadweep.
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