Alcohol affecting workers' lives: Anandiben Patel

In a statement that comes as an embarrassment for the ruling BJP in Gujarat, senior BJP leader and former chief minister Anandiben Patel said during a public function that alcohol is being consumed in the state that has prohibition.

"What do your husbands drink? Do they drink or not?" Anandiben was heard asking woman construction workers at an event organised by the Baandhkaam Shramyogi Kalyan Board (Construction Workers Welfare Board).

"The welfare board has carried out several surveys for the benefit of the workers, but I would request that a survey be done to find out how many people (construction workers) consume alcohol... because workers a lose major part of their earnings to addiction of alcohol."

Anandiben was speaking at the function of 'seva saptah' (service week) organised to distribute an aid of Rs 50 lakh towards the health, education and security of women construction workers.

The event was held to commemorate the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the end of the year-long celebrations of the birth centenary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.

The state government had made the prohibition policy in the state tougher by making provisions for 10 years in jail and a financial penalty of Rs 5 lakh for the sale and purchase of liquor in the state.

The former chief minister on Wednesday said the lives of many workers are being wasted due to their addiction to liquor.

In April this year, the Gujarat High Court had observed that the state’s prohibition policy had failed to yield "positive results", adding that either it was not effective or something was wrong with its implementation.

While, the BJP spokesperson was not available for the party's or government’s stance on the claims made by former chief minister, Congress dubbed it the "biggest failure of BJP".

"She is not just a former chief minister but a very senior BJP leader. It shows that prohibition in Gandhi and Sardar’s Gujarat is only on paper and points to what we have been saying about the home department being the den for alcohol distribution,” Manish Doshi, Congress spokesperson, said.