Liquor was freely available in Punjab even under curfew and lockdown, alleged BJP president. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)
Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma has demanded a CBI inquiry into the allegations by Cabinet ministers of the state regarding a liquor scam which has taken place in the last three years of the government.
In a statement issued here Saturday, Sharma said that there was a need to fully investigate the allegations levelled by members of the ruling party themselves that a massive loss has been caused to the state exchequer due to illegal sale of liquor in the state.
“The ugly exchange of words of Punjab ministers with Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh on excise revenue generation through liquor must be further investigated. It must be noted that after the opening of liquor shops in other states during lockdown long queues were seen there of people wishing to buy liquor. But in Punjab nothing of the sort happened when liquor vends were re-opened. This was because liquor was freely available in Punjab even under curfew and lockdown,” Sharma said.
Sharma demanded that the CCTV footage of liquor distilleries in Punjab should be thoroughly investigated by the CBI to ascertain dispatch of trucks during the lockdown.