Lok Satta tells Chiru: Say 'no liquor for votes'

Welcoming Praja Rajyam President Chiranjeevi's declaration that his party would ban unauthorized liquor shops (belt shops) if elected to power, the Lok Satta Party today asked him to go one step further and pledge against inducing voters with liquor.

Party spokesman Katari Srinivasa Rao and Working Committee member N. Ravinder asked Mr. Chiranjeevi to recognize that belt shops had proliferated because the Government viewed liquor as an important source of revenue.

Talking to the media, the Lok Satta leaders said the Praja Rajyam Party should, therefore, focus on changes in the liquor policy as well. They recalled the Lok Satta Party had for the last 18 months been agitating against the liquor menace, which is next only to corruption in playing havoc with people's lives.