CPI demands total prohibition of liquor in India

COIMBATORE: A day after extending support to the August 4 bandh call in Tamil Nadu by some political parties on the issue of prohibition, CPI today demanded a nation-wide ban on liquor and said the Centre should immediately bring in an ordinance in this regard.

" Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, hailing from Tamil Nadu and other senior BJP leaders from the state should prevail upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to impose a total ban on liquor in India," CPI leader D Pandian told reporters here.

By an ordinance the Centre can implement prohibition and the NDA government should take steps towards this, he said.

Yesterday, DMK and PMK had demanded a judicial probe into the death of a Gandhian activist Sasi Perumal during a protest against a state-run liquor outlet, while other parties, including Vaiko-led MDMK, had called for a bandh on August 4, demanding closure of liquor shops, as sought by him.

Perumal (59), who had been campaigning for total prohibition in Tamil Nadu for many years, had climbed a mobile phone tower in Kanyakumari district on Friday, demanding closure of a liquor outlet near an educational institute.

He had collapsed during the more than five-hour long stir and died while on the way to hospital.

MDMK, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi gave a call for a bandh on August 4, which received support from BJP, CPI-M and CPI.

On the land acquisition bill, Pandian said CPI would organise demonstrations as already announced in five zonal centres -- Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Thanjavur and Tirunelveli on Aug 13, opposing it.