Click to play videoEighty-six people have died in Ahmedabad after drinking spurious liquor. The state police have launched a crackdown arresting over 450 bootleggers but clearly that’s not helping. Narendra Modi government is facing severe criticism and one of the worst protests in the last eight years. So is it time for India’s only dry state to reconsider the liquor prohibition policy? CNN-IBN raised this issue with Jay Narayan Vyas, spokesperson of Gujarat government.
CNN-IBN: The fact is that this is a severe embarrassment for your Government - many deaths have been reported from Modi's constituency Maninagar. And this is also not the first time such an incident has taken place.
Vyas: No civil society welcomes this. Whatever has happened is tragic and we are shocked at the deaths. Having said that, the tragedy of this kind has happened in past and I believe this is more due to poverty-led deprivation and sociological problems.
CNN-IBN: Why not accept prohibition is leading to corruption in police forces and is taking the liquor business underground, encouraging illicit liquor? Why not do a cost benefit analysis of the prohibition?
Vyas: If I extend this hypothesis, it would mean to say that in those states where there's no prohibition policy, there aren’t any hooch deaths. But the situation isn't the same.
CNN-IBN: When 82 people in a dry state die after drinking illicit liquor, many people allege connivance from police, from administration etc.
Vyas: I won't comment on it since Justice Mehta commission is already looking into it. Any comment from my side would prejudice the justice process.
CNN-IBN: Do you accept that bootlegging is flourishing in Gujarat?
Vyas: Let me say these issues will come to fore but our priority is to save lives. Let me say on record that we have set up dialysis ward in hospitals. We'll arrest the deterioration of life.
CNN-IBN: But today you also cracked down on bootleggers in Gujarat and we saw the extent to which they have spread in what is India’s only dry state. Why not experiment? Allowing liquor will end illicit liquor and certainly encourage law and order. Why not encourage transparency?
Vyas: I am sure whatever you are saying has your ideology behind it but the state has its own ideology. Even in future, we will considering these issues.
CNN-IBN: But hasn't the hooch tragedy beaten your prohibition philosophy hollow? Isn't it time to accept there’s a problem?
Vyas: It's a psycho-sociological problem. It does not get explained by a simple hypothesis.
CNN-IBN: So there’s no question of reviewing state’s philosophy?
Vyas: As of date, no.
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