Reversing tide after four decades, BJP leader wants liquor and tobacco banned near Golden Temple

In a Facebook post, helium said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s authorities has not responded to his practice regarding this demand, prompting him to protestation extracurricular Darbar Sahib for 1 day.

On September 27, 2022, Raju requested the National Commission for Minorities to nonstop the authorities authorities to prohibition the merchantability and depletion of liquor and baccy products wrong a one-mile radius of humanities gurdwaras, including Darbar Sahib. He besides called for a implicit prohibition connected smoking and drinking successful nationalist places successful the authorities and suggested declaring gurpurabs (days related to Sikh Gurus) arsenic adust days. Additionally, helium projected that liquor vends should run connected alternate days.

The committee issued a announcement to the Mann authorities but it did not respond, according to Raju. On March 29, 2023, helium filed a PIL petition successful the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

“The Bhagwant Mann authorities gave an undertaking earlier the Honourable High Court that it would see my representation. Based connected this undertaking, the Honourable High Court disposed of the writ petition,” Raju said.

Raju subsequently submitted a practice to the Mann authorities successful May 2023. “Since the Bhagwant Mann authorities did not instrumentality immoderate enactment connected the practice for 16 months, I filed a contempt petition against its inaction. The Honourable High Court has directed the Punjab authorities to record a compliance study earlier December 10, 2024,” helium added.

Harbans Lal Khanna’s baccy march

In a gathering connected September 24, 1980, past Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Gurcharan Singh Tohra demanded Prime Minister Indira Gandhi state Amritsar a beatified city. The Sikh Student Federation and Dal Khalsa called for a march connected May 31, 1981, to property for this demand.

However, 2 days earlier this march, a BJP MLA, Harbans Lal Khanna, led a countermarch against the request successful the city. Participants successful Khanna’s march brandished cigarettes and different baccy products, with immoderate smoking during the event. The march turned convulsive and Khanna emerged arsenic a divisive figure. A mob led by Khanna broke the exemplary of Darbar Sahib astatine the Amritsar railway presumption connected February 14, 1984. Sikh militants assassinated Khanna connected April 2, 1984. The BJP’s Amritsar bureau is named aft Khanna.