Lockdown: Will oppose liquor sale in Aurangabad, says AIMIM MP

Aurangabad, May 4 () Aurangabad Lok Sabha MP andAIMIM Maharashtra unit chief Imtiaz Jaleel on Monday said thedecision to open liquor shops amid easing of restrictions inthe coronavirus-induced lockdown was not correct and warnedthat vends that open here will be "forcefully shut down" byhis party.

Jaleel claimed liquor consumption led to domesticviolence in lower income households and women bore the bruntof assaults by their inebriated husbands.

"The All India Majalis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)Member of Parliament from Aurangabad Imtiaz Jaleel has opposedthe decision of government to open liquor shops here. He haswarned if the decision is implemented in Aurangabad, they willforcefully shut the shops down and will make women come out onstreets," the party said in a statement.

"The problem is more in lower class women where theirhusbands beat them after coming home drunk. There is no needto hurry and sell liquor in this difficult time. Why suchprivilege is being given to liquor shops here," the statementquoted Jaleel as saying.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police Meena Makwanasaid Aurangabad is in the red zone due to a high number ofCOVID-19 cases and therefore liquor shops will not open in thecity.

Earlier in the day, authorities in five districts,comprising Aurangabad, Solapur, Jalna, Buldhana and Amravati,decided not permit liquor sale during the lockdown. AWBNM BNM