DMK Chief Karunanidhi Bats for Prohibition in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: In a major policy shift, DMK has batted for prohibition for the first time in many years, assuring to take steps for its implementation in Tamil Nadu if the party was voted to power in the assembly elections next year.

Party chief M Karunanidhi said with even children and aged women "falling victim" to liquor, "a question certainly arises as to why prohibition should not be implemented again."

"If DMK comes to power again steps will be taken for the implementation of prohibition, to ensure social change and betterment," he said in a statement.

Mr Karunanidhi's statement comes at at time when parties and movements including PMK and MDMK have been pressing the ruling AIADMK to implement prohibition.

It was the DMK Government led by Karunanidhi that lifted prohibition in the state in 1971, ending the dry rule in force for more than three decades.

While the AIADMK government nationalised liquor sales in 2003, making it a cash cow for the state exchequer since then, the subsequent DMK regime continued with the policy.

However, the previous DMK government once revised the timing of state-run bars, on a plea by PMK.