Illegal sale of smack and gambling should also be banned at religious places in MP: Digvijaya

Indore, Jan 24 (PTI) With the Madhya Pradesh government deciding to ban liquor shops in 17 holy towns, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday said illegal sale of drugs, like smack, and gambling should also be banned at these places.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday said his government has decided to shut down liquor shops in 17 holy towns in the state. The 17 towns consist of one municipal corporation, six nagar palikas (municipalities), six nagar parishads (municipal councils) and six village panchayats.

Talking to reporters about the decision, Singh said, "We respect religious places. Smack should not be sold at these places and gambling should also not be carried out. Contractors related to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should also think about this." He also raised question marks over the success of the experiments of liquor ban across the country.

"States like Gujarat and Bihar, which have banned liquor, have the easiest and best arrangements for people who drink alcohol. In both these states, liquor is supplied to every household," he said.

He also raised questions over the government's plan to dispose of 337 tonnes of Bhopal's Union Carbide waste in Pithampur, a major industrial area of the state.

The former chief minister said, "This waste was lying in Bhopal for the last 40 years. What was the need to bring this waste to Pithampur? It should have been disposed of by burying it there itself (Union Carbide factory premises)." Singh claimed he received information that a builder wanted to vacate the valuable land of the Union Carbide factory premises, and that is why the factory waste was sent to Pithampur.

State Congress president Jitu Patwari had recently said during a programme that his party was suffering from the "cancer" of factionalism. "If we do not end this cancer of factionalism, we will be finished," he said.

Reacting to the statement, Singh only said that Patwari must have said it after careful consideration.

The Rajya Sabha MP also alleged that the local administration of Indore disrespectfully removed the statues of Dr B R Ambedkar and Sant Ravidas Maharaj that were installed on government land in the Piplyahana area of the city.

"This reflects the mentality of the BJP government," he said.

An administration official, however, said the statues of Ambedkar and Ravidas were installed by unknown people by building two illegal platforms overnight as part of an attempt to encroach on government land.

He said that the administration foiled the attempt of encroachment by removing these statues. PTI HWP MAS NP