Swaraj Abhiyan picks liquor to expose AAP's 'doublespeak'

NEW DELHI: With less than two months left for Swaraj Abhiyan to formally announce its political plans, the organisation has locked horns with the Delhi government over a liquor shop in south Delhi's Kotla Mubarakpur. Swaraj Abhiyan is pitching this as AAP's doublespeak--the party that is fighting an anti-drug campaign in poll-bound Punjab is promoting alcohol in Delhi.

In a "public hearing" organised on Wednesday , former AAP member Prashant Bhushan and Timarpur MLA Pankaj Pushkar, shared the stage with residents who said that they want the shop closed down.

The liquor shop in question opened last month on the main road. This is the second liquor shop in the area, both located around 500 metres from each other.Residents are of the view that the presence of the new shop has created multiple issue, the primary being that drunk men keep standing around the residential area and women and children find it highly unsafe to walk around.

Chhoti Devi, a resident whose house is next to the shop, alleges she often finds drunk men sleeping in the lane and outside the shop."Schoolchildren have refused to walk this way because of the drunkards. The police have done nothing to help us," she said.

Ajay, another resident, said that when they approached MLA Madan Lal, he sent them off saying that he would open six more liquor shops. Pushkar, who has been sidelined by AAP after he declared his affiliation with expelled members like Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, said: "The government should make its priorities clear. Does it want to open more liquor shops or parks, schools and hospitals?" Local MLA Madan Lal claimed he had got three liquor shops closed in the past six months."Why would I fight to keep this one open," he asked.