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BJP activists march to CM Omar Abdullah's Srinagar residence to push for liquor ban across J&K
Scores of BJP leaders and activists marched to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's residence in Srinagar on May 15, 2026, demanding a complete ban on liquor in the Union Territory. Police detained several BJP leaders to foil the march. The protest drew reactions from opposition and government figures, and the report includes background notes on liquor policy and revenue.
Why It Matters
The event highlights ongoing debates over alcohol policy in J&K and the political dynamics between the BJP and opposition while tying liquor sales to broader governance and revenue concerns.
Timeline
4 Events
May 15, 2026: BJP march to CM Abdullah's Srinagar residence demanding liquor ban
May 15, 2026
Scores of local BJP leaders and activists marched toward Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's residence on Srinagar's Gupkar Road, carrying banners and placards to demand a complete ban on the sale of liquor in the Union Territory. Police detained several BJP leaders to foil the march, including Altaf Thakur, Sahil Bhat, Sajid Yousuf Shah, Arif Raja and Anwar Khan. The protest drew responses from opposition and government figures cited in the article, including statements from a BJP spokesman and a J&K minister who defended the government's development path.
2025 Excise Department approves new liquor outlets
2025
The article notes that in 2025 the J&K Excise Department approved new liquor outlets in ten districts of the Jammu division and four districts of the Kashmir division.
2022 Liquor sales allowed in grocery shops
2022
The NC cites the 2022 decision permitting liquor sales in grocery shops in Jammu and Kashmir as part of the policy background discussed in the protest article.
2017 Excise Policy background
2017
The article references the 2017 Excise Policy, which the NC says used municipal wards and tehsils as the basis for identifying unreserved areas; it questions which government was in power when this policy was introduced.