Srinagar, May 12 : National Conference president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said that the J&K government could impose a ban on alcohol within minutes if the Centre compensates for the revenue loss.
Speaking on the ongoing political debate over liquor outlets in the Union Territory, Abdullah said he personally does not consume alcohol, but argued that those who do would find ways to procure it even if sales were restricted locally.
“Those who drink alcohol, they will drink. If they do not get it from here, they will bring it from outside,” he said, adding that the issue of liquor consumption was being politicised.
Recalling a past conversation from 1977, Abdullah said former Prime Minister Morarji Desai had asked his father Sheikh Abdullah to ban alcohol in Jammu and Kashmir, but the move did not materialise due to revenue concerns.
He said that if the Centre compensates for the financial losses, “the government could ban alcohol in two minutes.”
The NC president also alleged that the issue was being selectively raised by opposition parties, questioning why there was no protest when liquor outlets were earlier opened in the region.
“They think we are afraid of them, but we will defeat them in a way they will remember,” he remarked.
Abdullah further commented on the worsening global situation, expressing concern over fuel and gas shortages amid tensions between the United States and Iran, and warned of broader economic consequences if the conflict continues.
He also said online education cannot replace traditional learning for economically weaker sections, stressing the need to ensure access to education for all students.
“If this crisis does not end, if the war between Iran and the United States does not end, then only God knows what will happen to us,” he added.
