2 min readSrinagarMay 15, 2026 07:18 PM IST
The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP on Friday led a protest at Srinagar’s Gupkar Road, leading up to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence, seeking a ban on the sale of alcohol in Kashmir.
Although there has been a growing chorus in the Valley demanding a complete ban on alcohol, the BJP has made common cause on this issue for the first time since the National Conference government took charge in 2024. However, the BJP’s demand to ban the sale of alcohol is limited to the Valley, not Jammu. In 2018, then BJP state unit chief Ravinder Raina had also sought a ban on liquor sale in the Union Territory.
BJP media in-charge Sajid Yousuf Shah said, “The party is demanding an immediate ban on liquor sales in Kashmir, emphasising that the issue is closely tied to the Valley’s social and religious values. The people of Kashmir have consistently opposed liquor sales, and the government must respect public sentiment by closing wine shops across the region.”
He added that tourists come to Kashmir for its natural beauty, culture and hospitality, not for alcohol consumption.
National Conference’s rival, the PDP, has long been seeking a ban on alcohol in J&K. This was also recently amplified by Kashmir’s head cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who stated that when states like Bihar and Gujarat can enforce a ban on alcohol, it should not be difficult in a Muslim-majority state.
The Omar Abdullah government has linked the consumption of alcohol to freedom of choice. Last Sunday, the chief minister stated that his government has not opened any new liquor vends and the existing ones have been in place since before the elected government took helm.
Private members’ bills seeking a ban on alcohol have also been introduced in the J&K assembly, but none have been passed. The discourse around the issue generally loses impetus when economic considerations come to the fore.
Story continues below this ad
Also, while liquor sales and consumption were never formally banned in Kashmir, public drinking has long remained a taboo and is also restricted by law.
