Gautam is son of ex Akali Dal MLA Deep Malhotra & director in the alcohol manufacturing & distribution company Oasis Group, whose Zira factory was shut down by Punjab govt last month.
AAP government had announced closure of liquor factory on 17 January, but written orders are yet to come. Four expert panels are looking into allegations of pollution.
Protest against Zira liquor factory is yet another example of the growing rift between Mann government and farmers, who were the primary drivers of AAP’s landslide victory in March.
The factory, which has been shut since 24 July, had moved court for relief. Judge says question was not if the water is polluted or not but whether factory is causing pollution.
Since the bulk of citizens did not regard drinking as a crime, they had no respect for the prohibition laws and did not cooperate with the police, wrote MV Venkata Rao in 1962.
We now live in a world order that will keep shifting. India must use this window. This also means we remain disciplined enough not to be knee-jerked into reacting to what Pakistan sees as its moment in the sun.
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