Indore, Jan 24 Veteran Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh on Friday said "gambling" and "betting" should also be banned in the state.
The Congress leader made this assertion in the wake of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav-led BJP government's decision to ban the sale and consumption of liquor at prominent religious sites in the state.
During an interaction with media persons at Press Club in Indore, Digvijaya Singh said the idea for a liquor ban was experimented with earlier in some other states also, however, illegal business flourished there at a large level and liquor is being supplied at homes.
"If it is the matter of religious places, we have to respect it, but I personally believe that the government should also take tough decisions against gambling and betting in the state," Digvijaya Singh added.
Notably, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav-led Madhya Pradesh cabinet approved the proposal to ban liquor sales at 17 religious sites from April 1. These significant religious sites where liquor would be banned are located in different districts, including Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain, Orchha (temple of Raja Ram, Amarkantak (on the bank of Narmada River), Chitrakoot in Satna district and others.
A decision in this regard was taken during a special cabinet meeting held in Maheshwar in the Khargone district to mark the 300th birth anniversary year of Ahilyabai Holkar, the 18th-century ruler of the Holkar dynasty. Maheshwar was the kingdom of the Holkar dynasty.
"In a special cabinet meeting held in Maheshwar today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, a decision was taken to ban liquor at various religious places in the state," the Madhya Pradesh government said in an official statement on Friday.
The new liquor policy will be implemented from April 1. With this partial ban, Madhya Pradesh joined the dry states -- Gujarat, Bihar, Nagaland, and Mizoram along with Union Territory (UT) Lakshadweep.
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