Patna, March 7 Union Minister Chirag Paswan has called for lifting the toddy ban in Bihar, saying it is a natural product and should not be treated like alcohol.
He stated that toddy and Neera should not be categorised as alcohol.
His remarks come after Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav promised that "if his party forms the government in 2025, the ban on selling toddy would be lifted, citing the livelihood crisis faced by the Pasi community."
"If the RJD government comes to power in 2025, the ban on toddy will be lifted. The Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act 2016 has led to mass arrests, with 95 per cent of those jailed being Dalits and backward-class individuals," Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Yadav said.
"Under the guise of this law, the poor, especially Dalits and the Pasi community have been harassed. The toddy business must be revived for their survival," Tejashwi said.
The Pasi (Paswan) community, which has been a supporter of the Late Ram Vilas Paswan for years, now backs his son Chirag Paswan.
Union Minister Paswan's endorsement suggests that the toddy issue could become a major electoral battleground in Bihar.
During an interaction with the media at a wedding ceremony in Hajipur on Thursday evening, the Union Minister targeted opposition parties, accusing them of exploiting communal sentiments for political gain.
Amid the Aurangzeb controversy, Union Minister Paswan slammed the opposition for "appeasement and divisive politics".
"History is witness that Aurangzeb did not have good relations with his family. Everyone knows what happened during his rule and what kind of policies he adopted," Paswan said.
"RJD, SP, and Congress only protect the interests of people from one religion while ignoring others. Their secularism is selective and serves only their political motives," Paswan said.
"If someone respects the faith of a large Hindu community, they are immediately labelled communal. But these parties continue their politics of appeasement without accountability," he said.
However, Union Minister Paswan distanced himself from JD(U) MLC Khalid Anwar's remarks on Aurangzeb.
When asked about Anwar supporting the SP leader's remarks, Paswan dismissed it, saying: "It doesn't matter who is supporting these statements. Any educated person who knows history cannot support such things."
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