Maha: MP Jaleel against opening liquor shops in Aurangabad

AIMIM Lok Sabha MP Imtiaz Jaleel has said if liquor shops are opened in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district, he would strongly oppose it.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) will t allow liquor shops to open even under police protection and force ir closure, he said on Tuesday. His remarks came after Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Monday said re should t be any ban on liquor shops in state if social distancing measures, in place to curb COVID-19 spread, are strictly followed. Tope was replying to a question on state government t clarifying, in its April 17 tification, wher liquor shops will be allowed to remain open after it permitted resumption of industrial and business activities in n-coronavirus hotspots. Liquor shops are closed in state since last month when coronavirus-enforced lockdown was implemented Jaleel, who is Lok Sabha member from Aurangabad and president of Maharashtra AIMIM unit, expressed his views on this in a Facebook post along with an im of Tope's tweet on rules for liquor shops. "If government is planning to open liquor shops in state, n it should t consider Aurangabad in this. We will t allow shops to open even if police security is provided to se shops," Jaleel said.

government has fairly handled situation, but if liquor shops are opened, it will be a "stupid" decision, parliamentarian said. He said women are already facing so many problems in this lockdown period and if liquor shops are opened and men take to drinking, it will add to ir troubles.