AAP Govt Under Fire: Holy City Status for Amritsar an eye wash, Says Raju

AAP Govt Under Fire: Holy City Status for Amritsar an eye wash, Says Raju

Bhagwant Mann misled People of Punjab -

Punjab Liquor License Rules, 1956 altered; Ban Reduced to Bare 100 Metres Around Golden Temple

Chandigarh 25 November ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : In a sharp escalation of the ongoing controversy, senior BJP leader and former IAS officer Dr. Jagmohan Singh Raju, speaking on behalf of the K.S. Raju Legal Trust, accused the Punjab Government of playing with the sentiments of the people and telling a lie on the floor of the House “diluting” and “weakening” the historic protections granted to Amritsar under the 1956 Rules prohibition order. Addressing the press, Raju said that while the AAP Government theatrically declared “Holy City” status for Amritsar in the Vidhan Sabha today, the real development tells a very different story. 88-Year-Old Prohibition Order Withdrawn: Raju revealed that while Chief Minister Mann on the floor had said that there was no official order banning the liquor, he was the first one to do so. The fact is that the State Government has revoked the 1956 Rules liquor prohibition order, which had safeguarded the entire Walled City for decades. In its place, the new order imposes a liquor ban on only a 200-metre Galliara around the Golden Temple. “This is not protection — it is reversal. This is not respect — it is weakening. This is not progress — it is betrayal,” Raju said. ‘Holy City’ Move Triggered by Judicial Pressure He further stated that the AAP Government was on record, as late as June 2025 , to say that it will not prohibit liquor in Sri Amritsar as it will cause loss of revenue to the State. The AAP government’s announcement on 24th November 2025 came only after the Punjab & Haryana High Court issued notice on 14 November in response to the PIL filed by the K.S. Raju Legal Trust asking it to explain as to why liquor, tobacco and meat should not be banned in Sri Amritsar and why Sri Amritsar not be declared as Holy City. For the past two years, the Trust has been demanding: ​•​Complete prohibition across the Walled City ​•​Holy City status for the entire Amritsar ​•​Permanent safeguarding of its spiritual environment ​•​Enforcement of the 1956 Rules ban in full “All requests were rejected by the AAP Government until the Court stepped in,” he added. The next hearing is scheduled for 16 December 2025. Govt’s Court Claims Now Exposed. Raju said the Government’s affidavits in Court are now contradicted by its own actions. In its written submissions, the State had argued:​1.​Liquor cannot be banned due to revenue and hotel needs. ​2.​Liquor had already been banned in Amritsar as per 1956 Rules. “Massive Rollback of Protections” According to Raju, the new policy effectively opens up the entire Walled City for liquor vends, except the 200-metre radius. Dr. Raju demanded the immediate reversal of the new order and: ​•​Declaring the entire city as a Holy City ​•​Expanding liquor prohibition across Amritsar ​•​Protecting the sanctity of the Walled City. He concluded that the Trust will present all evidence—including government affidavits and today’s policy rollback—before the High Court during the next hearing on 16 December.