Kottayam (Kerala) | Kerala Assembly Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan on Sunday rejected allegations that he had supported amendments to the Abkari Act permitting the sale of low-alcohol liquor when he was a member of an Assembly Subject Committee during the previous LDF government's tenure.
The current UDF government's budget proposal to reduce tax on low-alcohol beverages has come under criticism from the LDF, while the ruling front has argued that the sale of such beverages was permitted during the previous Left government's tenure.
LDF leaders have, however, maintained that the move had the approval of an Assembly Subject Committee that included UDF leaders, including Radhakrishnan.
Speaking to reporters here, Radhakrishnan said the minutes of the Subject Committee meeting wrongly recorded that he had no objection to the amendments proposed to the liquor policy by the previous LDF government.
He said he had left the meeting midway, but the minutes stated that he had expressed no dissent.
"After examining those papers, I submitted my dissent in writing to the then minister K N Balagopal," he said.
Radhakrishnan said he had also opposed proposals to reduce the licence fee of a liquor company and to permit bars in IT hubs.
"I took the same position then, as I do now and always will, that such moves were not acceptable. There has been no change in our stand," he said.
He alleged that some people were now deliberately dragging his name into the controversy.
"There was also a connected file concerning proposals to permit gambling activities in Kerala. You may examine the records and see what my opinion was. I clearly stated that gambling should not be allowed. My view was that it would expose lakhs of children and young people in Kerala to gambling, and that steps should be taken to protect them. That dissent was recorded in strong terms," he said.
Radhakrishnan said he and the party had consistently opposed proposals related to liquor whenever they came before the Subject Committee.
"On all the three major matters that came before the Subject Committee, we took a pro-people stand. We acted after understanding public sentiment and the larger public interest. There has been no deviation from that position," he said.
Asked whether he would support the Finance Bill, which includes the proposal to reduce tax on low-alcohol beverages, Radhakrishnan said it would not be appropriate to comment before it was formally introduced in the Assembly.
"Let it come before the Assembly. Members of the Assembly have every right to express their views on it first. Until then, I do not think it is proper for me to offer comments from outside. In this matter, I believe democratic traditions and conventions must be fully respected," he said.
He said the UDF could make a political decision to implement the tax reduction on low-alcohol beverages.
"Decisions of the UDF must be taken by the UDF itself; they are political decisions. Similarly, decisions of the LDF are for the LDF to take; those too are political decisions. On issues concerning me personally, my position has been straightforward. Then, now and in the future, our stand remains the same," he said.
