Congress rules out liquor prohibition in Puducherry

Puducherry: Congress, which is pushing the cause of prohibition in Tamil Nadu, has ruled out the very idea in the Union territory of Puducherry next door. Its splinter group All India NR Congress had already said it will not impose liquor prohibition in the Union territory.
In Tamil Nadu, all major parties have promised to impose total prohibition, but none of them are making the same noises in Puducherry.
"The policies of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are entirely different. There is no room for talk on prohibition in Puducherry. Prohibition is not feasible in Puducherry," said Congress leader and former MP V Narayanasamy after Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee president A Namassivayam released the party's manifesto.
The only parties promising prohibition are PMK, BJP and People's Welfare Front, which do not have much of a presence here. The dominant parties, Congress, DMK, AINRC and AIADMK, have come out strongly against prohibition, saying the lifestyle and culture of people of Puducherry, which has a strong French influence, is different from that of Tamil Nadu.
DMK leaders said unlike in Tamil Nadu consuming liquor is not a taboo in Puducherry. "There is no alcohol abuse here. People here drink moderately to celebrate every occasion," said a DMK leader.