DKS questions Nadda over alcohol at Sudhakar event

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar on Monday demanded that BJP national president JP Nadda address alcohol being served at a prog r a m m e conducted by one of their party MPs.

A day prior, BJP MP from Chikka - ballapura K Sudhakar held a thanksgiving programme to honour party workers and served alcohol on a large scale. The programme was held in Nelamangala town in Bengaluru Rural district on Sunday.

Videos of the event started doing the rounds on social media. Clips showed scores of people lining up in queues to get their hands on beer bottles even as policemen looked on. However, Shivakumar refused to confirm if police would take action against the organisers of the event. Section 50 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) makes drinking alcohol in public a punishable offence.

“Liquor has been distributed to BJP party workers at a public event in Nelamangala. To register a case in this regard is another matter, but before that BJP National President J P Nadda must answer how his Party allowed its MP to distribute liquor to its party workers in a public event.”

“Rather than the local BJP leaders, it is important that national leaders of BJP tell people how the BJP is upholding the culture of land by distributing liquor in public meetings,” he demanded.

Food was also served at the venue. Attendees could be seen eating their food in paper plates and drinking alcohol in the ground where the event took place.

People on social media wondered aloud if serving alcohol in public was wise. Sudhakar was elected as the Chikkaballapura MP after successfully defeating ongress candidate Raksha Ramaiah.