Ashok Gehlot attacks Rajasthan government over surcharge on liquor for cow protection

JAIPUR: Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot castigated the BJP government’s decision to impose a 20% surcharge on liquor for cow protection. Questioning the relation between cow and liquor he added that “only habitual drinkers could think of such ideas.”


Gehlot on Wednesday, addressing the media, alleged that the state government had failed to make any provision for cow protection despite having a cow ministry and has now imposed a surcharge of 20% on liquor in the name of cow protection. Defending the government’s decision higher education minister Kiran Maheshwari talking to media said the government’s decision to impose surcharge of liquor for cows’ protection would benefit a number of gaushalas.

The former chief minister on the upcoming Prime Minister’s visit to the state said state government has been humiliating the office of the Prime Minister by inviting him for projects which were already running in the state for relaunching them. He also alleged that the state government is misusing the official machinery to mobilize crowd for the Prime Minister’s meeting in Jaipur on July 7 in the guise of beneficiary meeting.

Gehlot also took a shot at chief minister Raje and said she is fond of ‘fake’ awards. He said the chief minister in her previous stint had claimed that she was selected for a UN award and went to New York, but it had turned out to be fake one. It was an award sponsored by some NGO. Similarly, recently the chief minister was bestowed an award by one private company which is being highlighted as a big achievement. Gehlot said the chief minister should mind the post she is holding and desist from misleading the public.

He alleged that the state government is hand-in-glove with the mining mafia thriving under the bajri ban and the government is not keen to lift the ban which has left lakhs of people jobless in the construction sector. The government’s failure to convince the Supreme Court is deliberate and mischievous, he alleged.