Uttaranchal is in the middle of a political storm over a state minister’s comments about the alleged nexus between politicians and the liquor mafia.

The Opposition BJP is gunning for the government after Excise and Tourism Minister Lt Gen T P S Rawat (retd), in an off-the-cuff remark to the media in Almora earlier this week, said liquor smuggling could not take place without political patronage. A delegation of the state BJP led by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Matbar Singh Kandari met Governor Sudarshan Aggarwal and demanded that the Congress government be removed following the minister’s disclosure.

The remarks have angered even the Congress legislators, who now want the former Lt Gen sacked from the ministry. Hurt by the remarks, especially coming at a time when the party is preparing for Assembly elections next year, PCC chief Harish Rawat has urged Chief Minister N D Tiwari to institute an inquiry into the matter.

Meanwhile, amidst all the din created by his reported remarks, Lt Gen Rawat has been at pains to explain that it was a general comment on the patronage given by politicians, police and bureaucrats to the liquor mafia. ‘‘I said it was not possible to take liquor from Rajasthan to Uttaranchal without the active connivance of politicians, police and the liquor mafia. A section of the media distorted it to say I had admitted to the involvement of legislators and ministers in liquor smuggling,’’ he explained.

But in the faction-ridden Congress, very few people are willing to listen to him. Others are out to settle political scores against each other. The Opposition also want to nail the Congress on the issue.

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