Officials in the dock for permitting liquor at political event linked to K. Sudhakar
Congress supporters protesting against liquor distribution at a function in Nelamangala.
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Special Arrangement
Officials of the Excise and Home Departments are in the dock for “allowing“ liquor to be served to people attending a public rally to celebrate BJP leader K. Sudhakar being elected as Chickballapur MP in the recently concluded polls, at Nelamangala on Sunday.
A video of trucks carrying liquor cartons and hundreds of people in long queues to collect the bottles in the presence of the police have gone viral on social media along with a letter written by BJP’s Nelamangala taluk president to the Deputy Superintendent of Police seeking permission for security for the event.
Reacting to the issue, senior police officials said that though adequate security arrangements had been made to ensure law and order, permission was denied for serving liquor at the programme. The police officials had also warned the organisers that legal action would be initiated if any law and order issue arose.
However, the organisers went ahead with the programme after obtaining a temporary CL4 license from the excise officials concerned, sources confirmed. Since there was no violation and no untoward incident, the police became mute spectators and provided security cover for the programme, said an official.
Around 400 people received liquor bottles along with non-vegetarian meals by the roadside. This is probably the first time someone had sought permission to distribute liquor at the programme of an elected MP, a senior police official said.
Political row
The incident has drawn the ire of the ruling Congress. At least two Ministers have hit out at the BJP and Dr. Sudhakar. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar demanded that BJP national president J.P. Nadda answer the people how his party allowed the Chickballapur MP to distribute liquor to party workers.
“Rather than the local BJP leaders, it is important that party national leaders tell people how the BJP is upholding the culture of land by distributing liquor in public meetings,” Mr. Shivakumar said.
Dr. Sudhakar said that he was not aware that liquor was distributed at the event and even he came to know about it through the media. “I was invited to the felicitation programme organised by our local leaders in Nelamangala. I was not aware that liquor was being distributed. In my 20 years of political career I have never indulged in such politics. Even if our party workers have done it, it’s wrong,” he said in a statement issued on Monday.
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