Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the high power committee meeting of UDF on Friday announced a series of agitations against the decision of the LDF government to make major changes in the liquor policy prepared by the previous UDF government, RSP leader Shibu Baby John and INTUC president R. Chandrasekharan openly supported the policy hailing it is as a pragmatic one. This has brought into open the differences of opinion within the UDF over the liquor policy.
Mr John even stayed away from the UDF meeting. Meanwhile, RSP clarified at the UDF meeting that the opinions of Mr John were personal and that it was not the party’s. They said the party supported the general opinion of the UDF. Mr John in a Facebook post had said that the liquor policy by the previous UDF government was “immature,” and that it cost the front a chance to continue being in power in the last election. Mr Chandrasekharan said that the new liquor policy took into consideration the situation of workers employed in the sector and the future of the state.
The UDF meeting decided to organise protest programmes in all assembly constituencies on June 15 against the liquor policy of the State government and the restrictions on cattle trade imposed by the central government. The UDF would organise marches in front of the Secretariat and district centres on July 1, when the liquor policy officially comes into existence. Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala while briefing the media on the decisions of the UDF said that the government was safeguarding the interest of bar owners.
