Tipplers' joke on alcohol's efficacy to kill coronavirus gets official hue

If alcohol-based sanitisers can kill coronavirus on hands, there is no reason why alcoholic drinks may not kill the virus in tipplers' throats, a Congress MLA has argued, seeking reopening of liquor shops in Rajasthan.

Congress MLA Bharat Singh Kundanpur put forward the argument in all seriousness in his letter written to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday, while urging him to open liquor shops in the state.

It will not only save alcoholics from dying of spurious liquor consumption, but also earn the much-needed revenue for the state amid the lockdown-hit economy, he argued.

When alcohol can wash coronavirus off hands, it will dislodge the virus from booze guzzlers' throats as well, argued the MLA in his letter.

Singh is not alone in urging Gehlot to open liquor shops in the state.

In his endeavour, he was also joined by his CPI-M colleague Balwan Singh Punia, who had made a similar plea to Gehlot in early April itself, soon after liquor shops were closed down following the Covid-triggered lockdown.

Punia is a CPI-M MLA from Bhadra assembly segment in Rajasthan.

He had earlier urged Gehlot to resume liquor sale in the state, pointing out that the closure of alcohol shops is leading to flourishing of spurious liquor business, affecting people's health.

Liquor is a much-maligned commodity, wrote Kundanpur, the Congress MLA from Sangod constituency in Kota district, to Gehlot in a matter-of-factly tone.

And so, neither the Centre will allow states to open liquor shops, nor the state government will decide on its sale on its own, wrote Singh.

Making a fervent plea for resuming liquor sale in the state, the Congress MLA further wrote that closed liquor shops are both damaging the state economy and furthering the spurious liquor business in the state, leading to loss of lives of people consuming it.

The spurious liquor business is a self-employment scheme for many. With closed liquor shops, it has also emerged as a golden opportunity to earn fast buck, said Kundanpur.

Referring to an incident of Halena village in Bharatpur district, where two persons lost their eye sights and died after consuming country-made liquor, Kundanpur said alcoholics are risking their lives by consuming spurious liquors.

Talking of the revenue loss to the state, he said, Rajasthan had set a target of generating a revenue of Rs 12,500 corers from liquor sale in 2020-21, which, he said, seems to be a distant dream now.

It is better to allow resumption of liquor sale in the state so that the booze lovers can get their favourite drinks and the state, its much needed revenue, argued Singh.