Srinagar, May 15 (IANS) Some leaders and workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were detained by police on Friday in order to foil their protest march to the high security residence of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, against the sale of liquor in the Valley.

Some leaders and workers of the BJP assembled in the Ram Munshi Bagh area of Srinagar and started a protest march towards the high security Gupkar Road residence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, against the sale of liquor in the Valley.

The protesters were shouting slogans against sale of liquor and were demanding complete ban on its sale in the Valley.

J&K Police intervened and tried to disperse the protesters. Police intercepted the demonstrators and detained several BJP leaders, including Altaf Thakur, Sahil Bhat and Sajid Yousuf Shah, along with many party workers to prevent them from proceeding towards Gupkar Road.

The BJP said the protest was aimed at highlighting public sentiment against the operation of wine shops in the Valley and accused the ruling National Conference (NC) of defending and promoting liquor sales in the region.

The protest comes days after Chief Minister Abdullah stated that his government was not planning to expand liquor outlets in Jammu and Kashmir, but maintained that imposing a complete ban on alcohol was not practically possible at present.

He had said liquor was already being consumed in the region and questioned whether people preferred regulated sale through legal channels or pushing the trade underground through illegal means.

Former J&K Chief Minister and President of the ruling NC, Dr Farooq Abdullah also joined the liquor sale debate and said the NC government was ready to ban the sale if the revenue earned through this sale by the Union Territory is compensated by the Centre.

When armed violence started in J&K in the early 1990s, terrorist outfits burned many liquor shops, banned cinema halls and beauty parlours as part of the so-called Islamist movement in the Valley.

As the situation improved, liquor shops, cinema halls and beauty parlours re-started business in the Valley which has historically been a favourite destination for foreign and domestic tourists.

–IANS

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