Pub culture will not be allowed: Yeddyurappa

29-01-2009 Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa has ruled out banning the Sri Ram Sene. Not only that, while condemning the pub attack on one hand he also said he too believes pub culture should not be allowed to grow.

“Banning such organisations will not serve any purpose. We will wait and see and then action will be taken. If they continue to do this in future, they will be reprimanded. However, the pub culture will not be allowed, but those who take law in their hands will be dealt with firmly,” Yeddyurappa said.

Noting that so far the state authorities have arrested 33 people including Sene chief Pramod Muthalik, Yeddyurappa said, "From the government's side, we have taken action and we will take strong action against anti-social elements irrespective of their religious or political affiliations."

"Sri Rama Sene has no connection with BJP or any other political party. That's an individual organisation," the Chief Minister added.

More chief ministers on Thursday joined the debate on pub culture. While Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot sought to distance himself from the Mangalore incident, Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit saw nothing wrong in boys and girls going out together.

Condemning the attack on women allegedly by Sri Ram Sene, Dikshit said that liquor shops should be opened in areas which were not near schools and places of worship.

"I believe that children who go to these places with the knowledge of their parents are mature enough to handle themselves,"  quoted Dikshit as saying.

Under criticism that his remarks could amount to moral policing, Gehlot said in Jaipur that his move to end the pub culture in the state has nothing to do with the Mangalore case.

A day after remarking that he wanted to end the "liquor culture" in Rajasthan, for which he blamed the previous Vasundhara Raje government, Gehlot said, "My feelings have nothing to do with the Mangalore episode. My feelings are my own and in the interest of Rajasthan and its culture."

The Rajasthan CM had said he wanted to end the culture of boys and girls roaming around in malls holding hands.

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