New Delhi [India], April 2 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anil Firojiya on Tuesday expressed gratitude to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav for banning liquor in 19 religious places in the state.

'Congratulations and gratitude to the CM and his cabinet who made such a good decision. Ujjain is a religious city. It was a long-pending demand of the seers as well as the public to ban liquor...As of now, all liquor stores there will be shut down. There is nothing regarding the consumption of liquor at home. The ban on liquor remains in effect at public places...Liquor is offered to Kal Bhairav, so there will be some alternate arrangement, like if some devotee or visitor comes from outside, carrying liquor with them, then there is no prohibition over that,' Anil Firojiya told ANI.

The Madhya Pradesh government outlined the liquor ban in 19 religious cities and gram panchayats of the state would be implemented from April 1.

This announcement of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav was approved by the Cabinet at a meeting held in Maheshwar, the city of Lokmata Ahilyabai, on January 24, 2025.

Following the recent decision, all establishments that sell alcoholic beverages, including liquor shops and bars, will be mandated to close their operations within the entire urban boundaries of several cities.

The religious places where the decision to ban liquor has been taken include one Municipal Corporation, six Municipal Councils, six City Councils, and six Gram Panchayats.

This includes Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Mandleshwar, Orchha, Maihar, Chitrakoot, Datia, Panna, Mandla, Multai, Mandsaur, and Amarkantak. Additionally, the closure will extend to the gram panchayat regions of Salkanpur, Kundalpur, Bandakpur, Barmankalan, Barmankhurd, and Linga.

From April 1, 2025, liquor is completely prohibited in 19 declared sacred urban and rural areas of the state. (ANI)