Decision to allow liquor sale during lockdown is anti-public: CPI

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 4 (ANI): Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary K Narayana on Monday termed the Centre's decision to allow the sale of liquor during the coronavirus-induced lockdown as 'anti-public policy.'
"With the coronavirus still existing and the lockdown still in force, how liquor shops are allowed to sell liquor? It is not possible. Allowing the sale of liquor is an anti-public policy," he said while speaking to ANI.
He said the CPI demands that the sale of liquor should be banned in the country till the lockdown is not lifted. "Otherwise, it will have a bad effect on people," he added.
The CPI workers throughout India on Monday went for fast to protest against the treatment being meted out to migrant labourers and the sale of liquor, without violating the lockdown norms.
"We are demanding from the Centre to release funds at least Rs 10 lakh crore to all States. Efforts must be made to ensure that each family gets 20kg rice and wheat per month," added Narayana.
CPI leaders Narayana, Azeez Pasha, Chada Venkat Reddy, and others sat for a one-day hunger strike today at Makhdoom Bhavan.
Three new COVID-19 positive cases were reported today in Telangana, all from Hyderabad. The State's count of coronavirus cases till Monday evening stands at 1,085. The number of active cases in the State is 471, said the Health Department in its bulletin. (ANI)