Mangaluru: Stating that the “pub culture is ruining youngsters”, Karnataka BJP president and MP from Mangaluru Nalin Kumar Kateel, on Friday, said that all pubs in the Dakshina Kannada district should be shut down.
Sparking controversy, the MP then threatened that if the state government does not take any action in this regard, he will ask the BJP’s youth wing to take legal action.
According to news agency ANI, Kateel informed that has spoken to the district Deputy Commissioner in this regard and said, “In our time, we stopped the operation of clubs. Pubs should also be shut down in the district as it is ruining the youngsters. If the government doesn’t take any decision, I will inform the (party) youth wing to take appropriate action through the court.”
In our time we stopped operation of clubs. I told Commissioner y’day that we should shut down all pubs in dist. It’s ruining youngsters. If govt doesn’t take decision, I’ll inform youth wing to take appropriate legal action via court: Nalinkumar Kateel, Karnataka BJP chief (17.9) pic.twitter.com/xBYseL7igr
— ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2020
The Dakshina Kannada district has seen a lot of controversy surrounding clubs and pubs. The BJP has been opposed to pubs and clubs for a long time and in 2009, BS Yediyurappa, who was the Chief Minister of Karnataka back then, said that the growth of “pub culture” in the state is wrong and should not be permitted.
It can be recalled that, after the Covid-19 lockdown was enforced in the nation, the state’s coffers were running out owing to the lack of economic activity, several ministers and other parties tried to convince the state government to re-start the sale of alcohol to generate revenue for the state in the form of excise duties.
Once the sale of alcohol was permitted, the state saw a huge jump in excise revenues for consecutive days. About a week after Unlock 4 was announced, around 90 percent of the licensed bars and restaurants reopened while 1,226 hotels and about 75-star hotels started serving liquor along with food.
