‘Darkest spot in history of Congress’: BJP on lowered alcohol tax in Kerala

New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Friday launched a blistering critique of the Congress-led UDF government in Kerala following its Budget proposal to reduce taxes on low-alcohol content beverages, calling it the “darkest spot in the history of Congress surrendering the country’s national interests”.

Addressing the media, the BJP MP said: “After remembering the darkest hour of Indian democracy yesterday, remembrance of Emergency, today is another black spot in the entire history of or rather in the entire calendar of Congress surrender, which started from surrendering to Muslim League leading to Pakistan’s creation in 1947, then surrendering PoK to Pakistan, followed by the surrender of Aksai Chin to China.”

Further, Trivedi accused the previous Congress-led Centre of “almost surrendering Assam to China”.

“Congress surrendered Mansarovar to China on this day, 26th of June 1974, then Congress government surrendered Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. And none of the stakeholders were taken into confidence,” he added.

“It reminds us how Congress has continuously surrendered India’s interests in their entire calendar of being in power,” Trivedi said.

Referring to the UDF government in Kerala, he said: “It seems to be so intoxicated with power that the Kerala government has taken a highly shameful decision. It has reduced the excise duty on low-alcohol liquor from 251 per cent to 121 per cent, effectively cutting the tax on liquor by more than half.”

The BJP leader accused the Congress of attempting to “entrap the young generation into liquor” and claimed that the surplus money will benefit the liquor traders.

Pointing to Kerala Minister Ramesh Chennithala’s statement that drug menace has become an extremely challenging issue in the state, Sudhanshu Trivedi said: “At this juncture what is the logic of reducing the excise duty, reducing the government revenue?”

Addressing Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, he said: “We want to ask him about his plans for the country’s youth? Is it to intoxicate the state’s youth, fill money into the pockets of your friends who are in the liquor business and consequently mess with Kerala’s future?”

Moreover, Trivedi called the previous LDF and the current UDF government in the state as “two sides of the same coin”.

“It was the Communist-led LDF government that first created the low-alcohol liquor category to expand its sale and, according to us, benefit its associates. Today, the Congress has reduced the excise duty on the same category of liquor, thereby committing the mistake of encouraging alcohol consumption among Kerala’s youth,” he stated.

–IANS

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