Published 14:43 IST, October 8th 2019
Rupani demands apology, Vaghela backs Ashok Gehlot on prohibition
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani has lashed out against Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and has demanded an apology from him at the earliest regarding prohibition in Gujarat
While the war of words was already on between Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot regarding prohibition in Gujarat, in a new attack, Rupani has lashed out against Gehlot and has demanded an apology from him at the earliest.
While in his constituency in Rajkot on Tuesday for a local administration event, Rupani again brought up Ashok Gehlot's statements against Gujarat prohibition and demanded an apology. He stated, "if Gehlot has the courage, he will come out and apologise for his disrespecting words against crores of Gujaratis and calling them drunkards. I demand him to come out and apologise."
While this war of words was primarily between Congress and BJP, now Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has also jumped in. Former Congress party leader and current NCP leader Shankersinh Vaghela have also called Rupanis comment a 'feeble argument' and that he 'shouldn't overreact to Gehlot's comments.
Shankersinh Vaghela backs Gehlot
"There is nothing wrong with what Gehlot had said. There is no prohibition in Gujarat. There is not 1km stretch where you won't find liquor available to purchase. I live in Gandhinagar and I know that near to collectors, and other IAS officers' houses there is liquor freely available. No one is scared anymore because the system also protects them. Either keep prohibition or abolish it because this is neither here nor there," Vaghela told the media in Bhavnagar where he was attending a local event.
Meanwhile, the Congress party leaders are defending Gehlots statements and claiming that the BJP is over reacting. That, Gehlot's statements were only made in reference to illegal liquor business that goes on in the state. "We support what Ashok Gehlot has said. There are so many lives being destroyed because of the illegal liquor being smuggled and supplied here. Our party has always lead the war against this illegal alcohol smuggling," a party spokesperson shared.
The Congress party also shared a press release in which they released the amount of liquor that was seized in Gujarat was alone more than 200 crores in the 2018-19 fiscal year. "Why is the chief minister mum about this?" read the Congress press release undersigned by Manish Doshi, the GPCC spokesperson.
Updated 15:47 IST, October 8th 2019