Uma Bharti slams Shivraj; seeks Nadda's intervention on liquor policy

Veteran BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti on Saturday wrote a letter to J.P. Nadda, seeking his intervention on the liquor policy in the BJP-ruled state.

Veteran BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti on Saturday wrote a letter to the party president J.P. Nadda, seeking his intervention on the liquor policy in the BJP-ruled state.

Expressing her concern over the liquor policy implemented by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government, Bharti said she has been opposing it for few months, but now she is feeling "suffocated".

Earlier, Bharti made headlines on the issue either by throwing stones at liquor shop or sitting on protest in front of liquor shops and expressing her resentment against top BJP leadership, including Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Chouhan. However, for the first time, she took this issue publicly to the party's national president.

Bharti made the letter public on her Twitter account.

In her three-page letter, Bharti has attacked Chouhan mentioning that: "You (Shivraj) respect me a lot and also you know me very well that I do not go against party's set of rules, but I do not compromise with subjects that are related with my faith."

Bharti further mentioned whenever she had a discussion on the liquor policy issue with Chouhan, she always maintained secrecy, because she was convinced that a positive result will come out. "It made me a subject of mockery and criticism," she added.

She further wrote, "Demand of ban on liquor sale in Madhya Pradesh is not my personal arrogance, but it is subject of respect of women, safety of families, which is directly connected with livelihood of youth and social harmony."

Bharti appealed to Nadda to discuss this issue with senior party leaders and frame an unified liquor policy for all BJP ruled states.

--IANS

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