SRINAGAR, May 12: Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said the Jammu and Kashmir Government could enforce a ban on alcohol immediately if the Central Government agreed to compensate for the resulting revenue loss.
Speaking amid the ongoing debate over liquor outlets in the Union Territory, the National Conference president said banning alcohol would not stop people from consuming it, as those who drink could obtain it from outside J&K.
Abdullah remarked that he personally does not consume alcohol but questioned the selective outrage surrounding the issue. He also asked critics to identify who actually consumes liquor in the region.
Referring to an incident from 1977, he recalled that former Prime Minister Morarji Desai had once urged his father, Sheikh Abdullah, to prohibit alcohol sales in the erstwhile state. According to Abdullah, his father had agreed in principle but sought financial support from the Centre to offset the revenue impact.
He maintained that the same condition applies even today and asserted that prohibition could be implemented “within two minutes” if the financial gap was filled by New Delhi.
The NC leader also accused opposition parties of turning the matter into a political issue. Without naming the People’s Democratic Party directly, he questioned why no objections were raised when liquor outlets had expanded earlier across different areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
He alleged that certain parties were attempting to target the Omar Abdullah-led Government over every issue and warned that the National Conference would respond politically.
The controversy intensified after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently stated that nobody was being forced to consume alcohol and that people visited liquor shops voluntarily. The remarks triggered criticism from opposition leaders, including Iltija Mufti, who accused the Government of ignoring the sensitivities of the Muslim-majority region.
A day later, Omar Abdullah clarified that his comments had been misrepresented by political opponents. He reiterated that Islam prohibits alcohol consumption and said liquor sold in J&K was meant only for people belonging to religions that permit it.
During the interaction, Farooq Abdullah also expressed concern over the emerging global fuel and gas crisis linked to tensions involving Iran and the United States. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for austerity, he warned that the country could face serious economic difficulties if the international situation worsens further.
He additionally highlighted challenges faced by economically weaker students, saying online education remains inaccessible for many families and stressing the need for practical alternatives to ensure uninterrupted learning opportunities.