Tony slams Govt decision of opening 26 new liquor shops in J&K, flays 10 pc hike in toll plaza rates
Says only air left tax free under BJP Govt
JAMMU, MAR 15: Taranjit Singh Tony, Chairman Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Jammu and Kashmir for Administrative Engagement and Minority Affairs, and District Development Council (DDC) Member Suchetgarh has strongly condemned the opening of 26 new liquor shops by the BJP’s proxy Govt in Jammu and Kashmir and 10 per cent hike in toll plaza rates.
In a statement issued to media here today, the senior AAP leader said that approximately 26 new liquor shops are being opened in J&K out of which 22 are going to be opened in Jammu and 4 in Kashmir. He asserted that this makes it amply clear that the J&K Govt is playing in the hands of liquor mafia crossing all the limits. He said that it is an irony of this Union Territory and its people that the Administration has turned a blind eye towards the genuine demands of the protesting people on roads with LG having adopted an arrogant attitude towards these significant issues. However, with none demanding the increase in liquor trade, it seems that LG Administration is still hell bent upon turn the City of Temples into a City of Liquor Shops.
Tony said that the UT Administration is running the affairs as per the BJP ideology and termed it as ‘Bagal Mein Shuri Muh Mein Ram Ram’ ideology. He demanded that the proposed initiative of opening new liquor shops be withdrawn at the earliest as it has the potential of further taking youth to the wrong path of drug and liquor addiction.
Meanwhile, Tony also condemned the 10 per cent hike in toll plaza rates. He said that the already illegal toll plaza at Sarore is continuing and despite repeated false promises of BJP that it would be removed after two, three and fourth months from Sarore but nothing has been done in this regard till date.
Tony reminded that BJP President Ravinder Raina had said that Nitin Gadkari assured to shift the Sarore Toll Plaza but it is a mockery of the J&K’s BJP leadership as there is none to listen to them in the high command.
The senior AAP leader said that the performance of the J&K Administration can be summed up briefly by stating that this BJP Govt is looting the people by imposing tax after tax be it through toll plaza or by imposing property tax. He said that people feel that only air has been left tax free by this Administration and nobody knows when they will bring air too in the category of taxable items.
