Liquor ban being violated near Har-ki-Pauri: Council

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 28

The ban on liquor is being openly flouted in Haridwar city. Country-made and IMFL brands are easily available in the core mela zone of Har-ki-Pauri.

Poonam Jha, newly appointed Uttarakhand in charge of Delhi-based International Human Rights Council, stated this while addressing mediapersons here today.

She identified more than six points in the mela zone periphery of Har-ki-Pauri where liquor was easily available. She said the city police, on her tip-off, had seized a casket of illegal liquor from a parking lot at Pantdeep.

“Religious sentiments are getting hurt and sanctity of the holy place is being diluted. The mafia is luring youths towards liquor addiction,” she alleged.

President of the council Bindeshwar Singh Yadav said they had suggested to the Indian government and various states facing terrorism and Naxalism to allow human rights organisations to have a dialogue with extremists so that they could be impressed upon to change their violent mindset. “We have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to modify the policy, according to the changed conditions, to tackle the Kashmir or Naxalite issue. With better understanding of human right violations, organisations like ours can play a vital role in disseminating information and views of both sides in a neutral way,” said Yadav.

Soon, the council would expand its working committee in all districts of the state and would launch a helpline too. “We are hopeful that a 24-hour helpline will start functioning by next month and we will be able to reach out a large segment of society,” said Poonam.