Greed for revenue, mafia pressure behind no ban on liquor: Uma Bharti
Bhopal: In the wake of death of several people due to consumption of spurious alcohol in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, BJP vice-president Uma Bharti on Thursday said that due to the "greed" for revenue and pressure by liquor mafia, drinking is not being banned.
She expressed her opinion in a series of tweets in Hindi.
"A large number of people died due to liquor consumption in UP and MP recently. The reason behind the fatal road accidents is that drivers are drunk. It is surprising that for the greed for paltry revenue collection and due to the liquor mafias' pressure, drinking isn't banned," she said.
"It looks like that the state machinery serves liquor to the people. It is like a mother who is responsible for feeding and protecting her child, giving poison to the baby.
Opening of the liquor shops by the state is similar to that," the former Union minister said.
Advocating complete prohibition, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister tweeted, "During the coronavirus- induced lockdown a sort of ban on drinking prevailed. And this made it clear that people had either died of COVID-19 or other reasons. No one has died of drinking liquor then."
In what appears to be a taunt to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Bharti said, "Madhya Pradesh government has not taken any decision on opening more liquor outlets yet. This statement by @ChouhanShivraj ji is commendable."
Over 20 people died in a hooch tragedy in Morena district of MP earlier this month. Spurious liquor had also claimed the lives of more than a dozen people in Ujjain in October last year.
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Thunderstorm hits Lucknow, IMD issues red alert across multiple UP districts
Lucknow: Shortly after the India Meteorological Department issued a red alert warning of severe weather conditions in the region, a sudden thunderstorm hit Lucknow and adjoining districts on Monday morning.
The Indian Express reported that the skies turned dark around 8:45 am as strong winds lashed parts of the city. Incidents of tree falls were reported from several locations, disrupting traffic and normal movement.
The weather department said thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and gusty winds of 40 to 60 kmph are likely to continue over the next three hours across several districts.
A red alert has been issued for districts including Unnao, Barabanki, Hardoi, Sitapur, Bahraich, Gonda, Shravasti and Lakhimpur Kheri, where moderate thunderstorms with hail and strong winds may damage trees, power lines and temporary structures.
An orange alert is in place for Rae Bareli, Amethi, Kanpur Nagar, Ayodhya, Kanpur Dehat, Auraiya, Kannauj, Farrukhabad, Shahjahanpur and Balrampur, where thunderstorms with lightning and winds up to 60 kmph could lead to localised disruptions.
Major parts of the state remains under yellow alert, including districts such as Prayagraj, Agra, Bareilly, Aligarh and Moradabad, where light rain, lightning and winds of 30 to 40 kmph are expected.
Authorities have advised residents to remain indoors, avoid open areas and trees during lightning, and secure loose objects.
