Kejriwal supports Gujarat OBC leader in anti-liquor fight

Extending support to local OBC leader Alpesh Thakor in his fight to seek tougher prohibition laws in Gujarat, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said the liquor industry which got farmland at cheaper rates, should provide 80-85 per cent of jobs to locals.
The Gujarat unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today released a three-minute-long video message, in which Kejriwal praised Thakor over his fight against alcoholism and "weak" prohibition law in the state.
"Some people from Gujarat met and told me that liquor is available in the state in such abundance that it seems a river is flowing. When I asked them about the prohibition law, they said it is just on paper. They told me that police and administration take money and make home delivery of whatever amount of liquor you order," Kejriwal said in the video message.

The AAP leader added that the people also told him about spurious liquor being available on a large scale in the state, which is claiming lives.
Thakor, who is the convener of Gujarat Kshatriya Thakor Sena, recently announced to hold a mega rally in Gandhinagar on November 6 to demand tougher prohibition laws in Gujarat.
He had also said that before the rally, district-level meetings were planned and would be organised at different places in the state to drum up support on the issue.

"Alpesh Thakor is doing the right thing in this direction. The way he has launched his anti-alcohol drive in villages and a movement against (weak) prohibition, is commendable. He has done the right thing to mobilise people on the issue," the AAP leader said.

"On the one hand he is putting pressure on government to ensure prohibition law is made tougher, on the other he is persuading people in villages to give up alcohol. In some villages, people impose penalty on those who consume alcohol. Prohibition law is implemented in the real sense if society starts opposing it," he said.
Kejriwal also alleged that cheap farmland has been made available to the industry on the promise that 80-85 per cent jobs will be provided to the locals, which is not being honoured.
"People told me that BJP-led government in Gujarat provided land to industrialists at a very cheap rate by procuring it from farmers, on condition that 80-85 per cent jobs will be reserved for local people. But they have not yet provided jobs to locals," he said.

If such an agreement was made before taking land at cheap rates, then it should be honoured, he said.