Bihar ex-CM Jitan Ram Manjhi questions prohibition

Patna: Trouble seems to be brewing within the NDA in Bihar as one of the allies Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) has started opposing state government’s decision to impose liquor prohibition.

Mr Manjhi’s party Hindustani Awam Morcha is one of the constituents of the ruling NDA in Bihar. On Wednesday while staging a protest against state government policies, Jitan Ram Manjhi said, “Government needs to review liquor prohibition because people are against the decision. Liquor prohibition in Bihar has completely failed and only Dalits and poor people are being victimised in the name of prohibition.” Jitan Ram Manjhi’s statement has come at a time when chief minister Nitish Kumar is pitching for a nationwide ban on liquor consumption. On Sunday, the Bihar CM, while addressing a political event in New Delhi had said that “When Gujarat and Bihar could implement liquor prohibition, why it cannot be banned in the entire country”. RJD has also been highly critical of the prohibition law in the state.